Love15
by LordNegaduck
Summary: Darkwing and Launchpad must protect Professor Von Drake, who has invented a formula that will make even the most aggressive person peaceful, from Negaduck, who is determined to get his hands on the formula and use it for his own evil purposes. UPDATED!
1. Chocolates and Potions

**Love-15**

Author's Notes: This story is a Collaboration by BrideofBasil, Darkwing5143 and LuckyDuck29, who hope you enjoy this Darkwing Duck and Ludwig Von Drake story. We wrote this story because we wanted a Darkwing Duck story that not only included our usual favorite characters such as Launchpad, Negaduck, and a few other characters that are usually seen in Darkwing fan fictions, but we wanted to include a beloved Disney Duck that seems that Disney has forgotten about because he spends just too much time in his laboratory, and he is Ludwig Von Drake. Well Negaduck, Darkwing Duck, and Launchpad have successfully pulled Ludwig out of his lab for awhile and have some fun conversing with the other Disney Ducks he has never met before or only heard about on his lab radio, while the authors of this story will finally shine a spotlight on The Professor!

Disclaimer: although the Brideofbasil, Darkwing5143, and LuckyDuck29 WOULD LOVE to own the rights to Ludwig, Darkwing/Negaduck,  
and Launchpad respectively, do not own any rights to any characters from the Darkwing Duck and/or Ducktales series. If we did, we would  
still be making episodes!!

Chapter 1: Chocolates and Potions

At Saint Canard University, Professor Ludwig Von Drake was in the middle of a very strange meeting. The duck in front of him was holding a box of chocolates, but he had a chainsaw tucked in his black cape. He was being polite, but there was something evil and menacing in his eyes. Ludwig wondered if this character was maybe just the smallest bit cuckoo.

"Do you think the Von Drake Society will let me in?" the character calling himself Lord Negaduck asked. His voice was conversational, but there was an unmistakable note of threat in it. "I promise to leave my chainsaw outside and keep my hands off everyone's valuables." At his promise, there was a slight wheedling tone added to the conversational menace. He touched his chainsaw briefly, then held the box of chocolates out to Ludwig.

"I do believe one of these boxes of chocolates from the Negasweet Chocolate Factory will persuade you to let me join. Think of it, Ludwig, with the money you get just from one box of chocolates, you will have enough money to do any experiment you want!" He paused, giving Von Drake a few seconds to think it over. " So, what do ya say?"

"Uff cawse!" Von Drake said cheerfully. "Velcome to da lab!"

He shook Negaduck's hand, then looked at the box of chocolates, confused.

"How very nice-a you, puttin' da diamons in da candies like dat...but won't dat give ya a tummy-ache if ya eat dat?"

Negaduck eyed the professor as he accepted the candy. He scowled and shook his head.

"No, you're not supposed to eat the candy!"

He looked around, then got closer to the professor so only his ears would hear what the Mallard Menace had to say.

" I know a good fence that will, well let's just say, you will never have trouble with funding your experiments again!"

"Ja?" Ludwig asked curiously. "Tell me more, ya kooky duck!"

Sensing the professor was interested, Negaduck continued.

"Well, are you familiar with the bakery on the corner of York and Feather Streets? You know, the one that sells those fancy cakes from Germany. I believe those knobs call it Sachertorte or something."

"Did you bring the vipped Cream?" Ludwig asked. His mouth was watering.

The Mallard Menace looked at the Professor and scowled.

"Whipped Cream! I'm talking diamonds here, man! Not confectionary! Let's start talking about your financial security, not about your stomach satisfaction. There will be plenty of time for that after you receive your first million!"

Von Drake blinked, trying to get his mind off the whipped cream. Then he raised a bushy eyebrow and asked, "Ain't dat stuff bein' criminals? I don't vanna go to no jails!"

Negaduck laughed and patted the professor on the back. Von Drake winced.

"Eh, easy on da old bones dere! You vanna knock me down er somet'ings?"

"It's only criminal, " Negaduck said, ignoring the professor's comment, "if that do gooder Darkwing Dork sticks his big beak where it doesn't belong." He touched his chainsaw, then looked around and continued. "Now I have lots of connections with City Hall. You ask to speak to the mayor and say that you're a new employee of The Negasweets Chocolate Factory, and that you are here with another delivery. I mean, that knob just gave me $800,000 for the last box of chocolates I gave him! Hey! Politicians do this all the time! Think of it as..." He cupped his hand under his beak, looking for an answer. "A rebate on your property taxes!!" He gave his trade mark evil laugh. "And not to worry about Dripwing, I have plenty of people to keep that daffy do-gooder busy for a while!"

Negaduck rubbed his hands together, picturing the trouble Darkwing must be having at the moment.

Von Drake was trying to remember who 'Darkwing Dork' was.

"Dat Darkving, isn't he dat guy in da purple capes? Anyvay," he continued, "Da Professah isn't so sure dat he likes dis. Vat if I d'cide not ta do dis t'ing?"

Negaduck eyed the nervous Professor and scowled.

"Listen, Gramps. You can't lose. You don't have to worry about that idiot do gooder, and the Saint Canard Police couldn't see their way out of a card board box. Besides…"

As the Mallard Menace spoke, he saw that very familiar ominous blue smoke billowing from the corner of the room. Negaduck turned towards the direction of the offending display and heard the annoying voice of his nemesis, Darkwing Duck, echoing throughout the room.

Darkwing Duck gave his usually nerve wracking entrance, saying, "I am the Terror That flaps In the Night!"

"Give me just a tiny break," Negaduck said to himself, shaking his head and covering his black-masked face with his white-feathered hand.

"I am the experiment that blows up in your face!"

"I should have known better than to trust those knobs to keep Dipwing busy."

"I am Darkwiiiiiiiiiiiiing Duck!"

The mallard then glared at his yellow suited double and said, "give it up, Negaduck! You actually thought you could detain me with those two? Pa-lease!" Darkwing then put his hand over his chest and said with a smug look across his beak, "All I had to do was trip Megavolt as he was running, and he clumsily fell directly onto the Liquidator! I was out of there in two seconds."

The mallard laughed as he displayed two fingers, then looked at Negaduck and chuckled.

"See, that's what you get for testing out a new team on me. You should stick with Megavolt and Quackerjack next time. You over looked the fact that Megavolt and Liquidator are not a good mix!"

The Mighty Masked Mallard then turned to the visibly apprehensive Professor.

"Hello! You must be Professor Ludwig VonDrake! It's such an honor to meet you, sir."

Darkwing kept his eye on Negaduck's every move.

"So, what evil scheme is this maniacal menacing misfit trying to rope you into?"

Von Drake blinked at first at the dark blue smoke, then smiled in pleased surprise at the sight of Darkwing.

"Vell, allo dere!" he exclaimed, tipping his hat. "You dat Darkving guy, hah? Vell," he went on, with a dubious frown at Negaduck, "dat guy dere says he vants ta make me moneys! Somet'in' kooky dere, vit da diamon's in da candies. I t'ink he vants me ta do some criminal t'ing..."

Negaduck was very agitated by the very presence of his dippy double and that he was talking with the Professor. He could have kicked himself in the tail feathers for putting his confidence and trust in Megavolt and the Liquidator. He knew that Megavolt and Quackerjack were too zany and psychotic to hold back Darkwing Duck for any length of time, so he figured he would use the Liquidator's intelligence to counteract Megavolt's crazy behavior. Unfortunately, he overlooked one fatal flaw in his new team; electricity doesn't mix very well with water.

Negaduck eyed Darkwing.

"Why, if it isn't Dripwing, sticking that big head and enormous beak where it's not wanted! Even someone as thick as you can clearly see that the Professor and I were discussing a little business here, so why don't you take your traveling comedy routine to the kids at day care, since you have the mind of a four year old." Negaduck chuckled and continued. "And even that's pushing it!"

Darkwing acknowledged Ludwig by tipping his grey fedora and informed him, "you have every right to be apprehensive of my devious double's evil schemes! He didn't tell you that he's looking for a new delivery boy for his stolen diamonds, since I put his other postman in the hospital with fractured ribs!!"

Darkwing looked up and pointed his hand towards the ceiling, puffing out his chest with pride.

"Ahh, my patented and copyrighted Double Reverse Paddle Drop Boom Boom Kick gets 'em every time!" The mallard then put his hand on Ludwig's shoulder and continued. "Did he also inform you that the mayor is currently under investigation by the feds and SHUSH for his dirty deeds? Fencing diamonds for Negaduck with the taxpayer's money is one of many charges SHUSH has against the mayor."

Darkwing then turned to Negaduck and said, "I see you are still trying to push that glass of yours! And how dare you try to get the Professor mixed up in your evil plots! He's much too busy to be bothered with your chocolates and diamonds. Besides, he has very distinguished tastes! He loves German Chocolate, not that poison you make!"

At that point, Ludwig drew himself up proudly and glared at Negs.

"Dots right!" he snapped. "It zounds like somebuddy knows Da Professor better than you does, Mr. Smarty-Pants Duck Wit' da Fancy-Shmancy Red Hats! You vanted ta get me in troubles vit da laws yet??!" he continued, his anger rising as he realized how he had been played by the Masked Menace. "How dares you! Mister Darkvings is right, Da Professor is too busy ta be your messenger boys---'specially vit da criminal t'ings yet!"

He threw the box of diamond-covered chocolates squarely into Negaduck's face.

"Shame for you!!!!" he barked, shaking an angry finger at the Menacing Mallard. "SHAME for you!!!"

Negaduck glared at the Professor and Darkwing and said, "Don't tell me you're going to listen to this empty-headed sap. As usual, he doesn't know what he's talking about. Once his babbling beak gets going, he doesn't possess the brains to tell him to knock off the nonsense."

The Mallard Menace took the box of chocolates and gave the Professor an evil grin.

"Alright, don't accept the job, see if I care." He then turned and started to walk away, then looked back and said, "Don't come crying to me when the university pulls the plug on your experiments. Oh what a pity it would be to let all that valuable research go down the drain."

Darkwing stood by The Professor and cupped his hands around his beak and yelled, "Oh yeah, Negaduck! What's that supposed to be, a threat? Come on, Negaduck!! You really seem to be slipping! Surely you can do better than that!!"

Darkwing then turned to The Professor.

"Not to worry! Nothing will happen to your research for as long as Darkwing Duck is around."

But Professor Von Drake was stung by Negaduck's last words, particularly that part about when---not if---the university would "pull the plug". Even so, honesty was a thing he had long held dear, and no matter what, he had his integrity to think of.

"I don't care vat dey does!" he called after Negaduck. "I don't vanna be crooked like you, you mean ol' duck! You can take dose kooky chock'lit diamon's an'... an' ...go jump in der lake wit' em!"

He shook his fist at Negaduck's retreating back. But then he turned to Darkwing with a worried face.

"Dey can't do dat, can dey?" he pleaded, frowning.

Darkwing saw the worry in the Professor's eyes and he put his hand on Ludwig's shoulder.

"No, Professor! Not to worry! Negaduck has no pull with the University, but where does the University get its funding from besides the tuition from the students to do research?" Darkwing asked as he cupped his hand under his beak, then the answer came to him and worry came across his beak, as well. "The taxpayers! Ludwig, is the Mayor involved with any funding of research projects that the University conducts?"

Before Negaduck left the building, he looked back and relished in the torment that he planted in The Professor.

"The seed has been planted," he happily said as he started the Troublemaker and headed towards City Hall.

Not knowing that Negaduck was delighting in his discomfiture, Von Drake scratched his head, thinking hard.

"Vell, Da Mayor came ta da University last weeks," he recalled. "I hear him talkin' to da dean about moneys for da stuff da Science D'part'ment was doin'..."

Darkwing started to pace the floor with his white-feathered hands behind his back, thinking.

"Well, Professor Ludwig, that can only mean one thing; the Mayor and Negaduck are definitely in this together, and for some reason have thrown you into the spotlight. I think they wanted you for more than your postal services. Knowing Negaduck, he probably wants to use your knowledge of, and skills with, chemistry for their sinister plot. But what plan is Negaduck cooking up now, especially with the Mayor?" The mallard stopped his pacing and asked Ludwig, "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of research are you doing now? Or, unless, it's not what you are doing now, it's what research you will be doing, under the direction of Negaduck."

Then a sudden thought popped into the hero's mind.

"Maybe that little act about the diamonds was just a ploy to get you to go to the Mayor's office, either to detain you long enough for them to take a peek at your research, or to kidnap you! I think we have to get J Gander involved here."

As he took in Darkwing's words, Ludwig recalled a new experiment he had barely started a week back.

"I vill show you in mine lab at home if you vish," he told Darkwing. "Dis is a special compound dat I am inventin'."

The mixture, Von Drake said, was fused of 15 different plant extracts that, combined as one, carried potent but safe mood-altering properties. When inhaled, the compound worked like a tranquilizer, making any aggressive person instantly peaceful. Ludwig had named the compound LVD-15; he explained to Darkwing that, in the right hands, it could be a peaceful alternative to deadly weapons for law enforcement---or even warfare.

"It comes in da schpray, see?" the Professor said proudly. "You point it at peoples an' schpritz, an' dey don't feel like fightin' no more!"

Unfortunately, when he brought the idea up at the meeting with the University faculty---wherein the Mayor was present---several scientists and nearly all the faculty members laughed it off as just another one of Ludwig's 'kooky' ideas. To Von Drake's surprise, only the Mayor appeared unamused---in fact, he had seemed largely interested. But in light of all Darkwing had just told him, now the Professor wondered why.

Darkwing put his feathered hands behind his back and started his usual pace.

"Hmmm, a compound that would subdue even a hardened criminal like Negaduck without the usual mind games and web kicks to his gut. Gee, with that spray, I would no longer have to risk my tail feathers in getting hurt myself. Every criminal could be arrested without feathers flying and possible bloodshed. I even bet SHUSH and the Saint Canard Police would be interested in something like that."

He then stopped pacing and adjusted his grey fedora.

"Gee, Professor, that really sounds like a great compound there. All I would have to do is fill a cartridge up with that compound, what is it again, LOVE-15, and fire it at the opposing offender of justice with my gas gun, and I won't have to use my fists of fury on them. Tell me, Professor. Are the effects of the compound temporary or permanent? If you use too much of the compound, what will happen?"

Darkwing then adjusted his fedora again and tapped his beak with his index finger.

"Say that I, for example, sprayed someone as peaceful and loving as yourself. What would happen?"

Then Darkwing's paranoid mind started to kick in.

"You know, Professor, if your compound were to fall into the wrong hands, especially Negaduck's, I could definitely see it used to commit crimes against the citizens of Saint Canard. If the mayor is crooked, he and Negaduck already have sinister plans for your compound."

Ludwig blinked, worried now at the possible implications of his experiment. It had only been meant for good, to be used for peace; but how true it was that the road to Hell was paved with good intentions.

Since I don't know wasn't a favorite phrase of the Professor, he merely explained to Darkwing:

"Dis formula, it is still in der exper'mental stages, Mister Darkving, so it vill need more testings ta fin' out der full effects. But..." he frowned as he remembered the behavior of some of his lab rats during the initial testing. "It might could be probabable dat da formula, in extreme of doses, could make somevun TOO MUCH peacefuls...aggressive peoples, it could make dem helpless. Somevun peaceful, like Da Professor? It might could knock dem out, maybe!"

He raised a bushy eyebrow at Darkwing.

"Vat vas dot you calls it, LOVE-15?" He chuckled and shrugged. "Not zuch a bad name...

"Hmmm, it could possibly knock someone out if used excessively?"

Darkwing took off his fedora, scratched his head and placed the hat back on.

"That can't be good. Negaduck could definitely use that to his advantage."

The mallard then looked at Ludwig and continued.

"I even bet that slippery, self-serving civil servant is no doubt telling Negaduck about your new fabulous formula. As we speak, they're probably putting their devious demented minds together, working on some diabolical use for the Love15. Where is the prototype of the formula kept? My superior intellect is telling me that they are after your formula, and they're planning on either kidnapping you or detaining you long enough to steal it. That's why Negaduck was paying you a visit!"

Ludwig felt a cold chill in the pit of his stomach as he listened to Darkwing's words---especially the part about being kidnapped. But having faced many a dangerous situation over the years, the Professor didn't want to give in to any fears cropping up in his mind---and he certainly wasn't going to genuflect to any public enemy or any corrupt bureaucrat. And Darkwing, after all, did promise his protection...

"Da protatypes an' da notes on mine formula are in mine lab at mine house," he replied, hoping the Masked Mallard didn't hear the slight quavering in his voice. "But do you t'ink it iss now safe to keep dem dere? I do not know who I can be trustin' ta look after dem..." He frowned.

The mallard sensed The Professor's apprehensiveness and tried to ease his troubles by saying, "Professor Ludwig, there is no need to worry!! Darkwing Duck is on the job, and with my trusty sidekick, Launchpad, we will provide the protection you need." Darkwing then puffed out his chest and pointed his finger in the air. "Nobody will be able to get past these eagle eyes, for I am the Duke of Detection!" Now, Professor," the ever confident hero asked, "do you keep any samples of the formula here, at the university? Because if you do, we will have to take them with us in order to keep them secure. Once you gather your things, Launchpad and I will take you home. Ludwig, Let's Get Dangerous!"

Darkwing and Ludwig were still conversing in the lobby of the Saint Canard University's Hall of Science building, where the Professor conducted his research experiments for the university and taught the many college students earning degrees in the chemistry and pharmaceutical fields. What the two didn't realize was that every word that was being spoken was being recorded.

"Vell, den...if you are bein' sure, Mister Darkving," Professor Von Drake answered, feeling a little safer now. "I am keepin' mosta da materials in  
mine home, but I do have some of da samples an' notes here..."

He went into his office to get his things.


	2. Ludwig's Unexpected Plunge

**Love-15**

Authors' Notes: This story is a Collaboration by BrideofBasil, Darkwing5143, and Luckyduck29, who hope you are enjoying this Ludwig Von Drake and Darkwing Duck story as much as we are enjoying writing it.

We would like to personally thank all those who have left their complements and reviews. We really appreciate them!!

As much as we would like to own Ludwig Von Drake, Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, and Launchpad McQuack, Disney owns the copyright to our favorite feathered friends.

Chapter 2: Ludwig's Unexpected Plunge

--------------------------------

Negaduck arrived at City Hall and met the Mayor in the storage room that was located in the basement of the century old brick building. The Mayor came out from behind the shelves with card board hat boxes and addressed the yellow and black suited duck.

"Is he coming?"

The Mayor never came out of the shadows, but Negaduck knew him by his physique and the smell of that cigar he always smoked. Negaduck scowled.

"I almost had him, but that do-gooder duck got in the way. I think it's time for Plan B." Then the Mallard Menace let out his maniacal, sinister laugh and rubbed his feathered hands together. "I love adding misery to people's lives."

He looked at the shadow of the Mayor, who was busy puffing away on that cigar and blowing its cancerous fumes towards the Black Caped Mallard. Negaduck coughed at the offending smoke.

"What do you want with that old fossil anyway? Can't you see, I don't have time to waste on pension padding professors? Unless he has a vault full of diamonds and gold bars, why are you bothering with him? Hey, I do bank robberies, jewelry heists, relieve our generous seniors of their bread right after they cash their social security checks."

Negaduck then looked up at the ceiling with pride, as visions of the fear in their faces as he gladly took their money came to his mind.

"Ahhhhh!" He then looked at the Mayor. "I HATE kidnapping!! I like to commit my crime and break away clean!"

The Mayor turned and looked at Negaduck and laughed.

"Kidnapping? Who said anything about kidnapping? Besides, I am surprised at you! Don't you want to triple or quadruple our proceeds from these crimes? Look, I already have half the cops on the Saint Canard Police Force looking the other way when you commit a heist, and the other half either could care less what goes on as long as they get their doughnut or they are too brainless to realize a crime is being committed. But who is the one responsible for getting in our way?"

Negaduck made both of his hands into tight fists and squeezed so hard he was beginning to rip the feathers from his hands.

"That Dimwitted Duck, Darkwing!"

"Well, what if I were to tell you the good Professor has invented a formula that would make your job a lot easier with Darkwing? He has invented something that would take the fight completely out of him. He will be at your complete mercy."

The dark smoking shadow got Negaduck's attention when he mentioned Darkwing Duck being at his "complete mercy".

"What are you talking about? I always beat that idiot with intelligence, for if he had two brains, he'd be twice as stupid."

Negaduck seethed, exposing his teeth. The Mayor started to laugh at his partner's statement.

"Yes, but he always seems to have the upper hand when it comes to fighting. Face it, Negaduck, he has the advantage when it comes to those powerful web kicks. It appears that Darkwing does not have much upper body strength, but he does have a tremendous amount of lower body strength."

The mayor threw the cigar down to the grey painted concrete floor and extinguished it with the bottoms of his leather shoes.

The Mallard Menace clenched his fists, as he realized what the Mayor was saying was one hundred percent accurate.

"So, what's this genius come up with that is so great?"

"He has come up with a formula that if you spray it in Darkwing's face, his mood will be completely subdued, and he will be put in a trance like state. He will lose all the fight in him; he will give in to your every command."

Negaduck rubbed his white feathered hands together and displayed a wry smile across his beak.

"Anything I say? Huh, this does sound interesting. How long does the effect last? We can even have that Darkwing Doofus commit crimes for us."

The Mayor took another cigar out of his breast pocket, sniffed its length, bit and spit out the end of the cigar, and proceeded to light it up.

"Now, Negaduck, we have to be vigilant and patient. For I know he conducts most of his research at home, so he probably keeps his notes and formula there. No doubt, Darkwing will be with him, guarding him, but there are always ways around that purple-caped buffoon."

The brazen bureaucrat handed Negaduck photos of the professor's caped cod house from all sides, so Negaduck could plan for a way to gain entry.

"Well, now that I have a picture of the house, what's his address?" Negaduck asked irritably. "I can't find a house without AN ADDRESS! Knob!!"

" Patience, Negaduck!!" As the mayor smoked, he turned to a computer that had access to all the property records of all the taxpayers that were located in Saint Canard City. After logging into the network, he busily typed "Ludwig Von Drake" into the search field.

Negaduck was growing ever more impatient. He just hated to wait, his evil blue eyes stared a hole right into the mayor as he was tapping on the  
ancient white key board and looking at the white monitor. The Menacing Mallard started to pace the floor and if he didn't have an address to him  
within two minutes, he swore to put the chainsaw to that computer.

"Ah ha! Here it is! Professor Ludwig lives at 349 Mandarin Way, which is…" as the Mayor turned, the black masked duck was already out the door.

While Darkwing taunted Negaduck and then talked to the professor, Launchpad did as DW had asked and installed the bug in Negaduck's motorcycle. It was small and camouflaged, the same color of the dash board. It had been issued by SHUSH and Sara Bellum had practically guaranteed that Negaduck would never notice. This was very important; Launchpad hoped she was right.

He finished installing the bug just in time. He spotted Negaduck coming out and ran back to the Ratcatcher. Negaduck was apparently preoccupied; Launchpad was almost positive he didn't notice him. He listened and taped the conversation between Negaduck and the Mayor. DW's suspicions  
were dead on.

From City Hall, the Mallard Menace drove the Troublemaker as fast as he could to Mandarin Way. He disregarded stop signs, speed limits, and even rode the loud and very powerful bike on the sidewalk, plowing through a street café to escape the rush hour traffic that was beginning to clog the narrow city streets. Negaduck laughed as he now pictured the terror in the fleeing people's faces as they were screaming and running to escape the motorcycle's war path. He also loved the destruction it caused, the sounds of the breaking glass, tables and chairs being smashed, not to mention that surprised waiter who got his feet ran over as he was busily taking someone's order.

Shortly there after, he arrived at his destination, Mandarin Way. When Negaduck got off and covered the bike for camouflage, he observed his surroundings, nice cape-cod style houses with large front yards that had a sidewalk leading up to the front door, and usually they had well manicured lawns with ornamental trees on both sides of the walk. It really made the criminal gag when he saw the flowers and yard decorations as he walked past the houses in search for 349. He was tempted to toss a flower pot through a window, but that would have to come later and he stopped to observe an address, he appeared to be in the 200 block. "Just another block to go", he thought as his webbed feet met with the rough, concrete sidewalk

As Negaduck approached the three hundred block, one house in particular caught the criminal's eye. He didn't even have to look at the address to know it was Ludwig's. While the other neighbors' houses were neatly kept, this house had weeds and dandelions that graced the front yard and the bushes were covering the front windows. Negaduck looked on his feathered palm and read the address he had written. "349 Mandarin Way." This was the right house all right. Seeing that nobody was home, he looked around to see if anyone was watching and to his satisfaction, nobody appeared to be home from work yet. He noticed that most of the driveways on the street were still completely bare. Quickly, he got behind the bush, and noticed that it was covering not only the front window, but a basement window as well. He was able to jimmy the window open in a matter of seconds, and slowly he put his webbed feet in first, and then wiggled his way into the small opening.

"Unlike that dippy do-gooder," he scoffed, "I keep my body slim and trim. That knob is much too heavy to easily slip through that window. Obviously he'd much rather eat his doughnuts than keep his body in shape."

He maniacally laughed as he pictured his double getting stuck in the window. Within minutes, the cold calculating criminal was in the house of a genius.

Negaduck was trying to find his way around the very dark and cluttered basement to get to a light switch so he could see. All around him were what appeared to be mountains of hat boxes that stood from the concrete floor all the way to the ceiling. Negaduck growled as he soon found himself lost in the maze of the brown hat boxes.

"In about 5 seconds," the impatient mallard thought, "I am about to get my chainsaw out and shred those boxes into a million pieces!! Geez, I never saw so many boxes in my life! This fossil must have a hundred years worth of notes in here!! I would need a Mack Truck to get all these boxes back to City Hall!"

Since it was dark, his webbed feet tripped on a lone hat box that was on the floor and he fell beak first into a pile of hat boxes that were against the wall. The mallard ducked as the boxes landed on top of him.

Darkwing Duck waited outside in the white painted cinderblock corridor, as The Professor retrieved the notes from his cramped and cluttered university office. When the Professor closed and locked the flush grey metal door, the hero led the apprehensive inventor to the outside door that was at the end of the hallway.

"Professor Ludwig, would you mind riding on a motor cycle? Launchpad should be waiting for us outside this entrance."

Darkwing crossed his fingers behind his back.

"Dot's okay," Ludwig answered, glad to have retrieved his materials and praying to get them home safe. "Den I vill show you vat I am vorkin' on, an' maybe you can take everyt'ing to da SHUSH labs for safekeepin'? To answer your questions early," he continued, "I am not bein' sure how long mine Love-15 is affectin' da subject. Zo far, da effects do not seem to be lastin' long, dot is vy I vant ta do more works on it..."

He walked out to the Ratcatcher and blinked uncertainly at the small seat. "Is dere bein' enough rooms for me an' your friend, I t'ink?"

Darkwing Duck looked at the Professor's initial confusion and chuckled as he instructed, "Professor, you can have the side car all to yourself. That way you can concentrate on keeping your files together. The side car is not big enough for two adults, and you couldn't hold on to me and hold on to your files at the same time as we are riding."

The mallard looked away and laughed as he got images of Ludwig sitting directly behind him and precious papers flying everywhere, littering the streets of Saint Canard. Then he mumbled to himself, "Gee, we might as well gift wrap the formula for Negaduck and the Mayor." Darkwing then looked back at the Professor and said, "Launchpad can ride behind me where my daughter Gosalyn usually sits."

Launchpad smiled at the professor as he and DW approached the Ratcatcher. He remembered Von Drake from a very stressful time in his life and he liked this guy.

"Hi, Professor. Remember me? You thought I was cuckoo and then I brought yah that harpy that wanted to marry me? Hey DW, yah gotta listen to this tape from the--"

He broke off, not wanting to give away information DW might not want anyone to know.

"Uh, I gotta show yah something later."

After his partner's initial conversation with the apprehensive genius, Darkwing approached Launchpad and asked, "Is everything in place on Negaduck's Troublemaker? When we get to SHUSH headquarters, we will have to listen to those tapes of Negaduck and the Mayor.

He pointed his finger in the air.

"Everything's in place," Launchpad told his boss, grinning, "and you were right. The Mayor's as crooked as Negaduck."

Darkwing took off his grey fedora and started to wave it in the air exclaiming, "So, I was right! I JUST knew Negaduck and The Mayor had sinister plans for Ludwig and his formula!!"

Darkwing then put his fedora back on and started to punch the air with his fists.

"Yep, Yep, Yep, my keen instincts are always honed in when dirty deeds are going down by a couple of devious, demented criminals. Negaduck ought to know better than to mess with the Mighty Masked Mallard!!!"

Launchpad climbed onto the bike behind DW.

"I don't think Negaduck's got any idea we bugged him; he didn't seem to notice me and he didn't look for bugs before he left. He just left City Hall. He's on his way to Professor Von Drake's house."

Darkwing then started the bike, exchanged his fedora for a helmet and handed Ludwig Gosalyn's burgundy helmet.

"T'ank you, Mister Darkving," Ludwig replied.

He put the helmet on his head, hoping it wouldn't mess up what was left of his hair.

"I feel like dat Evil Kah-nievel guy," he mused as he clung to his suitcase filled with material. "How fast does dis t'ing go, anyvays?" he  
asked Darkwing.

The mallard looked back to see if Launchpad and the Professor were ready to ride.

"You're welcome. Ohhh, I guess this baby could do well over 100 miles per hour, of course, I am an expert driver." Darkwing said as he put his hand on his chest, and then looked back at Launchpad. "Though, I usually don't like to go that fast, because Launchpad usually ends up losing his lunch."

Darkwing was always amazed at the technology that SHUSH supplied him with. That was pretty clever of Dr. Sara Bellum to invent that little bug with the microscopic camera lens that produced very clear, ultra-sharp color pictures and sounds from across town. He thought about the comment Derek Blunt made to him years ago when they worked on a case together. "A good agent will work out of a cardboard box if need be." Well, no matter how Derek felt about the use of technology, the Mallard would use any new technology to his full advantage, especially if it meant catching evildoers expediently, and eliminating surprises. If anyone was going to do the surprising, it was going to be Darkwing Duck.

Launchpad felt furious as he watched Negaduck on the computer screen. He was terrifying all those people, causing destruction and injury for the simple pleasure of it.

"Even without Professor Von Drake's formula," he told DW angrily, "You've got plenty to arrest this monster for right here. It'll take weeks for all that to be rebuilt, and that poor waiter could have lost his foot!"

Not one to stay angry for long, Launchpad smiled at Von Drake when he saw Negaduck pull up to the professor's house.

"Nice neighborhood, Professor. Bet yah got a beautiful view from your lab window."

As the hero was driving in the direction of downtown to meet with J. Gander Hooter, he heard his faithful and observant sidekick mention the destruction and mayhem that Negaduck caused at the café, and that he was spotted in what appeared to Launchpad as the Professor's neighborhood. The mallard quickly slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the street. He then looked at Ludwig

"Quickly, Professor," he asked with much nervousness in his blue eyes, "what's your address? I need it right now!"

Ludwig looked up from his papers and blinked. His mind was half on his work and he only barely noticed the concern in Darkwing's voice.

"I lif at T'ree Forty-Nine Mandarins Vay. Are ve almosht home?" he asked hopefully, thinking he could stand a cup of tea and a slice of cake about now. He had an appetite almost like Launchpad's (though he would've drawn the line at Cajun Brownies) and never worried about spoiling his dinner. "If dere is time, I can get you boys a liddle snack, yes?" Then he looked over at Launchpad. "An' nice ta see you again, Mister McQvuack," he continued, after shaking the pilot's hand. "Hope you're not seein' no more harpies, yes?"

Darkwing wasn't sure if Ludwig picked up on the mallard's concern about Negaduck helping himself to anything in the genius's laboratory. He put his left hand on his hip and said, "Ludwig, this is no time to be thinking of culinary delights!! We must get back to your house ASAP, right, LP?" He then looked at Launchpad for his response.

Launchpad laughed. "No more harpies," he said cheerfully. "An abominable snow woman, an ice queen, an artist who could trap people inside her paintings, even a vampire potato, but no more harpies since yah got rid of Anastasia for me. How did yah do that anyway? I was never sure how yah convinced her that I wasn't the guy for her."

With that response, Darkwing grabbed his grey fedora with both hands and squeezed the ends tight with anger. Then he slapped his own face with his right hand and let his hand slide down his beak as a sign of frustration.

"Launchpad, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Will you stop with the harpies already. Give it a rest! You said yourself, Negaduck is already at Ludwig's house probably tearing the place apart as we speak, searching for the formula and his notes!!"

Launchpad gave Darkwing a look that was half sheepish and half frustrated.

"Well, he asked; I didn't wanna just ignore him. Yeah, Professor, we do have to get to your house. Negaduck's there; he's--" Launchpad broke off, looking at the screen just in time to see Negaduck fall. He laughed. "He just fell over one of your hat boxes. I think he's lost in your basement and he can't find a light switch."

"Well, since Negaduck is already there, there is nothing we can do about that now. I have to think about the Professor's safety. Obviously we can't take him back to his house, so he will have to stay at Darkwing Tower in hiding until I can guarantee your safety, Professor."

He then looked at Ludwig in the eyes.

"Professor, you will be safe at my hideout. Nobody but my daughter, Launchpad, and I know where it is. All I know for certain is Negaduck and the Mayor are after your formula, but I am not sure if they will kidnap you or not. So, now I will take you back to the hideout."

Darkwing was getting excited, for he always loved when situations escalated. This always meant bigger headlines!!

_"Danke!"_ replied Ludwig, alarmed at the thought of the trap he might possibly have walked into and grateful at the thought of going somewhere safer. At the same time he was just a bit annoyed, since this was the second caped mallard who'd dismissed his need for a snack.

Remembering Launchpad's earlier question about the "harpy", Ludwig leaned over to Launchpad while Darkwing's attention was occupied.

"It vas no problem, Mister McQvuack! Da Professor only told Miss Harpy dot dere must be a handsomes MISTER Harpy someveres, who vould like her cookin'! An' speakin' of cookin's," he asked Launchpad in a low voice, "ya gots ennyt'ing ta nibble on in Mister Darkving's hideout?"

"Thanks," Launchpad said, smiling at Von Drake, "and call me Launchpad."

His stomach growled.

"A Snack sounds good, Professor, but there's food back at the hideout. We can eat when we get there."

Food was the furthest thing from Darkwing's mind now, as he was trying so desperately to maneuver the powerful motorcycle around the clogged streets of Saint Canard from the commuters who were trying to get back home.

"I'll never get to the Tower in time to make sure the Professor is safe in hiding," he thought worriedly, "and to get to his house in time to tackle Negaduck!"

Darkwing's blood pressure was really rising with all the stop and go traffic he had to deal with just to get back to the Audobon Bay Bridge. As the trio got within a block from the bridge, the Mighty Mallard quickly made a right turn then a sudden left turn and asked the Professor a question.

"How are you at holding your breath?"

The hero knew that since it was during rush hour, he couldn't take the Professor and Launchpad through the bridge deck elevator, so their only choice was the elevator entrance that was located under the bay.

Ludwig's eyes widened as he saw where they were heading.

"Da Professor iss a champion at holdin' his breaths! Vy do you---"

But he had no time to finish just as the Ratcatcher raced off the pier; the Austrian scientist had the dubious honor of proving his words  
as he gasped in a lungful of air.

The mighty and powerful waters of the Audobon Bay quickly came into view as the Daring Do-gooder turned the throttle on the handlebar of the Ratcatcher to full speed and the bike, along with all of its passengers, dove into the cold waters below.


	3. Meeting of the Minds

Love-15

Authors' Notes: This story is a Collaboration by BrideofBasil, Darkwing5143, and LuckyDuck29, who hope you are enjoying this Ludwig Von Drake and Darkwing Duck story as much as we are enjoying writing it.

As much as we would love to own our favorite feathered friends; Ludwig Von Drake, Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, and other character mentioned  
from the Darkwing Duck and/or Ducktales Cartoon Series are the sole property of Disney.

We would like to personally thank all those who have left their complements and reviews. We really appreciate them!! You're all so totally  
Awesome!!

-----------------------------------

Chapter 3: Meeting of the Minds

Negaduck became completely infuriated by the maze of boxes he had to wade through and that they fell on top of him. As he fell, he felt a small piece of metal that poked him on his back as he hit the floor. When he was able to get the boxes off of his person and was able to wearily stand, he reached behind him and grabbed the small metal piece. The mallard then walked along the walls and finally found the wooden staircase that led upstairs to the first floor. He grabbed onto the railing and climbed the stairs, then flipped the switch that was located on the stairwell wall.

When the lights were activated and he could see, he closely examined the metal piece that stuck him in the back, and he immediately knew what the object was. He quickly located a hammer that was on top of Ludwig's old wooden workbench. He laughed maniacally.

"Hey Darkwing Dork! Are you so delusional that you actually thought that your stinking bug could stop me!! Yeah, right! What planet are you living on, duck? That's pathetic, even for you!" Negaduck said as he was talking into the mic with emphasis and squeezing his left hand into a tight fist.

"Well, listen to this, you moron! I am now standing in the very basement of that old geezer and there isn't a thing you can do about it! Where are you? Funny, I don't see you here---aww, did you get lost along the way? That senile old teacher probably forgot his own address! But, don't worry, Dripwing; I'll be here waiting for you!"

Negaduck spoke tauntingly as he raised the hammer and smashed the bug.

Thinking that there was only one bug that was planted on his person, Negaduck growled as he put his hand under his snarling beak.

"Gee, I wonder how long it's going to take that idiot crime fighter to find his way to the Professor's house. No doubt, that knob probably is trying to impress that old fossil with his so-called equipment that he got out of a crackerjack box." He then rubbed both of his white feathered hands together and said, "Oh, well, that gives me more time to have a look around."

Negaduck stood up on his webbed feet and reached for a hat box that was near the ceiling and threw it on the floor. He tossed the lid aside and dumped the contents on the floor. He looked at the old, brownish-white loose leaf paper and angrily thumbed through the entire stack of notes.

"Hey, I can't read these blasted papers!! They're in _German!!!_"

Then Negaduck randomly kicked over another stack of boxes, and grabbed a box, dumped the contents, and read the notes.

"These are in German, too!!"

The aggravated black masked mallard then started to pace on the cluttered concrete floor. He thought about who he could get to translate these documents. Certainly the idiots that made up the Fearsome Five weren't smart enough to read these notes. Then his thoughts suddenly turned  
towards Duckburg.

Launchpad smiled as Darkwing asked how Ludwig was at holding his breath. He remembered DW doing this with Gosalyn. Launchpad had  
been on another bike at the time and had no idea where they'd gone.

He closed his eyes and held his breath as the bike went into the bay, but he had no trouble hearing Negaduck's ranting when they broke the  
surface. Launchpad had kept the ear piece in his ear the whole time. Then he saw Negaduck smash one of the bugs. That was all right because Negaduck apparently didn't have a clue that the one Launchpad had planted in the sweat band of his fedora a year ago was still intact and fully operational. He had planted the tiny electronic device in the red fedora as it flew off the mallard menace's head when DW had kicked him.  
Launchpad was surprised that Negaduck hadn't found the bug by now.

Darkwing had planted the bug Negaduck had just destroyed when the Professor was keeping him occupied with the chocolates being thrown  
in his devious double's face. The bug was so small that Negaduck would never know it was there. There was also the bug Launchpad had  
planted in the Troublemaker just before Negaduck had left for City Hall, while Darkwing and Ludwig were still inside the university building.  
There was no chance of missing anything the caped criminal was planning.

Launchpad grinned; he was eager to play the tapes for Darkwing and see DW's reactions to Negaduck's taunting. As usual, Darkwing was  
one step ahead of his dastardly doppelganger.

Using the remote control that was located on the handlebars of the motorcycle, Darkwing activated the underwater elevator shaft and when  
the bike entered, the soaked trio were lifted up within the old masonry walls of the bridge tower. The mallard looked at Launchpad and Ludwig  
and chuckled as he observed water pouring out of the Professor's satchel. When the elevator's platform was level with the floor of the hideout, Darkwing addressed Ludwig.

"Well, this is it!" the mallard said excitedly as he stuck his hand out, displaying some expensive equipment. "Within these walls lies some of  
the finest crime fighting equipment in the world," Darkwing said, trying to impress the Professor and put his open hand on his chest. "It's all  
the latest in crime-fighting technology. I have everything a champion needs to catch those nefarious forces of evil!"

Ludwig, who was turning blue from holding his breath by now, suddenly realized they were on dry land. He spluttered and gasped as his old  
lungs took in some welcome gulps of air.

_"Ach, Himmel!_" he said at last, still trying to get his breath. "Vat a kooky rrride DAT vas!"

He looked down with dismay at the water dripping out of his satchel.

"Mine papers! I hope da ink on 'em didn't shmear!!!" He frowned. "It's a good t'ing I put da formulas in der glass bottles, an' mine zofty-vare in  
a plastiks box dere!"

He stared around at Darkwing's quarters.

_"Ach_, nice eqvipments you gots dere, Mister Darkving!" he said excitedly, then he went up to a computer console under a screen. "I vonder  
vat zome of dese liddle buttons vill do?" he asked, as he started to touch a green button.

As Darkwing was wringing his cape dry, he turned to observe the Professor about to press a button on the console of his laser equipment that  
he used to divide objects in half that were found at crime scenes in order to have a better look at what mysteries may be locked inside.

"Professor, don't touch that! The last time Gosalyn touched that, she fried my tail feathers!"

Darkwing spoke in a panic because he didn't want to see his guest get hurt.

Ludwig jumped a bit when Darkwing yelped at him, but otherwise he was quite unperturbed.

"Not to vorry, Mister Darkvings!" he replied with a jovial laugh. "Ve don't vant your tailfedders  
fried no more!"

Launchpad laughed when he heard Negaduck ranting about Von Drake's notes being in German.

"He can't read your notes, Professor; pretty clever of yah to write them in German. But he's gonna  
want someone to read them for him. Any ideas who might be able to around here?"

Darkwing looked over to Launchpad.

"Wow, you mean all the notes are actually written in German! Ludwig, you are a genius! Did ya hear this? Negaduck can't read your notes  
because they are in German!"

"_Ach_, da notes?" Ludwig asked, adjusting his spectacles. "I am most alvays writin' dem in German. I t'ink best in mine natives languages!  
An' of _course _I am a genius!"

Darkwing then cupped his lower bill and said, "Well, this does give us time, as Negaduck will try to first find someone who will be able to  
translate the notes, so no doubt he and his cohorts can manufacture Ludwig's formula." Darkwing then turned to Launchpad and inquired,  
"Since you came from Duckburg, who do you know that would be able to translate German and who would be evil enough to team up with  
the Mallard Menace?"

Ludwig listened intently, wondering what his old stomping-grounds of Duckburg might have to do with Negaduck's need of a translator.

Little did the professor know that a certain determined lady---if lady she was---had left her hideout in Mt. Vesuvius and was looking to  
make more trouble for Scrooge and his fellow Duckburgians…

Launchpad put his hands behind his back and thought for a minute, then looked at Darkwing.

"There's one person who might know. Magica De Spell is a sorceress in Duckburg. Actually, she lives mostly in Italy , but she's got a  
rickety old three-story in Duckburg. She's always trying to get Mr. McD's Number One dime for an amulet she says will give her the  
power to rule the world. If she gets the professor's formula, I'd hate to think what she could do with it."

Darkwing turned and faced Launchpad and inquired, "LP, I have never been to Duckburg, and although I am aware that old Scroogie  
does have enemies, usually that egotistical, spot-light stealing, glory seeker of a rolling junk heap takes care of the old duck's security."

The masked mallard spoke with scorn for Duckburg's highly praised and decorated hero, Gizmoduck.

"Why can't the press ever write GOOD things about me? Why is it that when ever I make a HIGH profile arrest, there is no one  
around?"

Darkwing looked at the Professor.

"Do you know how many hours it takes me to iron this cape?"

Then he turned back to Launchpad.

"But if I make ONE LOUSY MISTAKE, you can bet your tail feathers that the media, as well as Saint Canard's SO-CALLED FINEST will,  
without any shadow of a doubt, be there just to make me look bad!"

Darkwing's usually white feathered face was now red with anger.

"I mean, those lousy cops just can't wait for an excuse to throw me behind bars, and the media is only too happy to portray me as a hood  
instead of a hero!"

Darkwing's mood suddenly changed from anger to despair as he put his hand on his face and shook his head.

"I could save the President's life from eminent danger or save the world from Gosalyn's Mutant Space Aliens, and I wouldn't even get as  
much as a pat on the back. But the Almighty Gizmoduck walks an old lady across the street, and he gets all kinds of rewards and recognition.  
What's he got that I ain't got, huh?"

After a few moments of silence and stares, Darkwing asked Ludwig, "Aren't you originally from Duckburg?" The mallard then turned to the  
both of them and asked, "I don't know anything about this Magica D'Spell. You two will have to fill me in. What kind of a duck is she? Is  
she a witch like Morgana only evil? What special powers does she have? I want no surprises. Also, how will Negaduck get in contact with  
her?"

During all this, Ludwig stood staring and blinking as he listened to Darkwing's tirade. And he'd  
thought his nephew _Donald _had issues…

"Ach, Mister Darkvings, vat a lil' temper tizzy!" he declared, shaking his head. "Da Professor had no idea you vas havin' da self-esteem  
proba-lem! An' vy does Saint Canards not respect you? You iss one-a da bravest an' smartest duckies I know! Vell, not smart as Da  
Professor," he added quickly, "but not too bad!

"In answers to your question, Mister Darkving," Ludwig continued, "I came ta Duckburgs ta live, yes---years ago. A vhile back, I vas takin'  
leave from mine teachin' at da University dere, but I heard dat Saint Canard University could be usin' some help, an' dey gots a nice laboratory  
b'sides. As for Magica Da Spell, the professor explained, he had only heard of her from Scrooge's constant complaints about her trying to  
steal his Number One Dime. "I haf never met da lady," he confessed. "An' I iss not so sure dat I vant to! In da meantime, Mister Darkving,"  
he suggested kindly, "does you know Da Professor iss also highly skilled in _psychology? _Make an appointa-ment after all dis iss over,  
an' ve talk about your problem wit' da publics, an' dat Gizmoduck guy dere!"

Launchpad waited patiently, facing Ludwig and Darkwing with his hands behind his back, for Darkwing to finish his rant on Gizmoduck,  
then for the professor to give his opinions. He'd been waiting for the chance to voice his thoughts to Darkwing on Gizmoduck. They were  
both his friends and their rivalry made him feel very uncomfortable at times.

"I've been thinking about you and Gizmoduck," he said when the professor finished. "You freelance, except when you work for SHUSH,  
and since SHUSH is a secret organization yah can't tell anyone about it. Gizmoduck works for the richest duck in the world, and since  
Mr. McD's a public figure, Gizmoduck gets more recognition and more people see what he does and how he does it. It doesn't help  
much that you have an evil double either. I mean, for a while there, when you were hit with that ray that turned yah into whatever yah  
looked at, Negaduck had people thinking you were committing his crimes."

Then he put his hand on Darkwing's shoulder and spoke gently.

"But not everyone thinks you're a hood. You wanted Master Lee's approval most of all and you've got that now. There are a few cops  
who know you're a hero. As for the media, well, reporters are not always honest. They wanna sell news, not print the truth. A lot of  
reporters will make yah look bad just because it'll make their stories more popular. Papers need sales and TV needs ratings."

He smiled and patted Darkwing's shoulder. His tone became both confident and affectionate.

"But you'll show everyone! One of these days we're gonna get a really big case and you're gonna make it impossible for anyone to  
make you look like the clown they want yah to be! You're a real hero and I'm gonna help you prove it!"

Darkwing nodded and looked at the grey concrete-tiled floor of the tower, and realized what his faithful sidekick was saying about  
Gizmoduck was true. Working for the world's richest duck certainly aided the rolling ham mounted on a single wheel in getting him  
all the free and positive publicity from the media, and the depressed mallard envied how the public loved and adored him.

"Thank You, Launchpad."

Darkwing looked up as Launchpad touched his shoulder and then started to pace.

"Well, for one thing, I would never, EVER want to work for that miserable, money-hording, mind controlling duck. I work for no one  
but myself, while that glory seeker is taking orders directly from his boss telling him exactly what to do and holding his hand while  
he supposedly fights crime!"

Launchpad didn't correct Darkwing about Scrooge. As much as he loved and respected Mr. McD, he had earned the reputation of  
being a bossy miser.

"I, on the other hand," Darkwing continued, "take orders from no one! And you said so yourself, Launchpad!" Darkwing said with  
much enthusiasm and vigor, "take away that suit of his, and you have nothing but a naked duck with goose bumps!"

Launchpad fought back a laugh as he pictured Fenton Crackshell shivering outside Mr. McD's money bin without his suit. Fortunately  
for Launchpad, he knew how Fenton dressed. He wore a yellow button down shirt with a collar, solid red tie, green business vest and  
blue sports jacket. So he didn't have to picture him naked. That was one image Launchpad could happily live the rest of his life without  
seeing.

He didn't respond out loud because DW didn't know Gizmoduck was really Fenton Crackshell. Launchpad would never tell him who  
Gizmoduck really was, or even that he knew, for the same reason he would never tell Gizmoduck/Fenton that Darkwing Duck was really  
Drake Mallard. He knew how important it was to keep their identities a secret; he didn't want to put them, or the ones they loved, in  
danger. Besides, if he told DW who Gizmoduck really was, how could DW be sure he could trust Launchpad not to tell anyone he was  
Drake?

Launchpad wasn't even sure Fenton knew he knew the truth, and he was almost positive Mr. McD didn't know. Most people didn't think  
Launchpad was as smart as he was, but Mr. McD had accidentally called Gizmoduck "Fenton" right in front of him when they'd been on  
that planet with the robots that wanted to melt them down for useable substances and melt Mr. McD's money down for robot parts.

Launchpad had known Gizmoduck's true identity almost from the beginning, but unless and until Drake and Fenton decided to reveal  
themselves to each other, Launchpad would take both their secrets to the grave.

Darkwing continued talking in his usual loud, ego-building voice.

"I, on the other hand, rely on my superior intellect, my fists and my webbed feet. I fight crime without the aide of any fancy suit! That's  
why SHUSH chose me, Darkwing Duck, to solve cases even their own best agents can't figure out, even with all their years of so-called  
college education. Besides, Launchpad, I don't need anyone's approval, and at least I have a lot of great help along the way from my  
best friend."

The hero then returned the pat on Launchpad's shoulder and smiled at his loyal sidekick.

Launchpad paused as he smiled proudly back at his boss, trying to think how to describe Magica.

"Like Morgana?" he asked thoughtfully, then shook his head. "No, Magica's more evil than Morgana ever was! She wants Mr. McD's  
dime and yah wouldn't believe some of the things she's done to try to get it! One time she even kidnapped the boys! She once had a  
rain cloud follow Mr. McD and everyone around him that made their worst fears come true. I wasn't there for that one, but the boys  
told me. She sent Mr. McD forty years into the future once and tried to trap him there. He was stuck in a future where she took his  
dime and the rest of his fortune and everyone worked for her, even Webby and the boys. She had a magic mirror once and tricked  
Mr. McD into protecting it for her. She said it predicted the future, only she made the futures he saw happen. She was trying to  
convince him that if he didn't give her the dime something terrible would happen. 'the time I remember most is when she cast a  
spell to bring her shadow to life. It was gonna grab the shadow of the dime and bring the real one back to Magica. She lost control  
of that one though. The shadow locked her in a closet and cast a spell of its own to make all the shadows in Duckburg come alive  
and try to take over. She wants that dime and she'll do whatever it takes to get it. I don't know if she knows any German, but if she  
does, and if Negaduck can get her to read the professor's notes, she could spray Mr. McD with the formula and make him give her  
the dime. If she creates that amulet no one will be able to stop her!"

Darkwing looked at Launchpad with sheer horror on his face as he listened to the evil deeds that Magica was capable of.

"Wow, Launchpad! She actually was able to create a rain cloud that was able to instill thoughts of fear and panic into their heads!  
And she actually sent Scrooge McDuck into the future!"

"It was more than just thoughts, DW. Their fears literally came true. Images of the boys came to Mr. McD and told him they didn't  
love him and only stayed with him for his money. An image of him came to the boys and told them he never wanted them and to get  
out of his sight forever. She could have wrecked their family if they hadn't talked about it and realized there was something wrong.  
That was when they realized it was the cloud and Mr. McD figured out that it was Magica."

"And where is the boy scout of crime fighters when Magica comes to town?"

"Now that I think of it, I don't remember if she's tried anything since he started working for Mr. McD. Everything I just told yah about  
what happened before he came to Duckburg."

Launchpad was very thirsty now. He couldn't remember the last time he'd talked so much, if he ever had. He went to the refrigerator for  
a Koo-Koo cola. He remembered that the professor was hungry and found the left over apple pie that Binky Muddlefoot had baked the  
day before. He took it out and cut two big slices.

"Do you want some, too, DW?"

He brought Ludwig his pie and soda, then went back to the counter.

Ludwig grinned happily. "T'ank you! I loves pie!"

Darkwing looked at the ceiling and put his hands on his hips as Launchpad opened the refrigerator door.

"Gosh, I guess I can be thankful that the worst Morgana has ever done to me was fry my tail feathers after I stuck my foot in my beak!  
Magica really sounds dangerous, even more dangerous than Negaduck. Thank God he doesn't have any special magical powers!"

The hero then put his index finger to his beak and continued.

"But once Negaduck and Magica team up, there may be no stopping them, especially once they get their grubby feathered hands on  
that formula! We have to think of a plan to prevent Magica and Negaduck from ever being able to get their hands on Ludwig's notes  
so they can manufacture the potion. I just hope that the Professor has all of his notes and samples of that potion here with him, and  
not in the basement of his house where no doubt Negaduck has already stolen one of the boxes to take to Magica."

Then Launchpad's question registered.

"Pie does sound good, Launchpad; I'll certainly take a piece. Sometimes a good piece of pie helps me think."

Darkwing Duck could never resist apple pie that was made by Binky, his annoying next-door neighbor. "She may be a definite pain in  
the tail feathers," Darkwing thought, "but she is one fabulous baker!"

As the professor ate his own pie, he looked around the Tower, fascinated by its gadgetry and overall set-up. Suddenly, he caught sight  
of an old photograph tacked up on the wall. The photo showed Launchpad with his aviator family standing next to some biplanes, and  
Ludwig smiled warmly as he remembered his own long-gone days as a pilot.

"Dot's right, you are a _pilot_, Mister Launchpad," he declared. "R'mind Da Professor, ven ve haf more time, ta tell ya about ven I vas a  
Flying Ace back durin' da Great Var!"

Launchpad smiled up at the photo, remembering the day it had been taken. It had been just after his family had helped him and Scrooge  
defeat Bomber and the other Beagle Boys when the Flying McQuacks had flown into Duckburg for the air show. Launchpad had been  
on cloud nine after learning that his family had always been proud of him, and their pride was genuine. His successful performance of  
the Triple Decker Treetop Beebop Tuck and Roll, a very dangerous stunt that had wrecked the Joy Rider before, was the icing on the  
cake. Webby had been honored to take the picture.

He looked back at Ludwig.

"I'd be glad to hear your pilot stories. Maybe you've met my family, the Flying McQuacks?"

The mallard observed Ludwig looking at Launchpad's portrait of himself standing next to his father, Ripcord immediately to his left, and  
Birdie, his mother and Loopy his sister standing to Launchpad's right that was proudly hanging on the wall. He looked at Launchpad  
and couldn't help but feel jealous that he grew up in a very loving home with a family that encouraged and helped him to become a pilot,  
and backed him up every step along the way.

Darkwing, on the other hand, really never knew his parents, or much of his background for that matter. The hero looked down at the floor  
and adjusted his fedora to hide his sad feathered face as he got depressed and thought about his rough childhood.

He was placed in an orphanage at a very young age, and never knew the circumstances that brought him to that dungeon. Drake Mallard  
really never knew what it was like to be loved by anyone, until he met Gos and Launchpad. In fact, for the young boy it was quite the  
opposite. Darkwing was still haunted by the nightmares of the continuous beatings he had to endure, both by the staff of the orphanage,  
and by the older boys and girls. To this very day, the hero still carried the scars of his childhood from the daily mental and physical abuse  
that no little six year old duckling should ever have to endure.

Meanwhile, the professor---who was inclined to bounce conversations back and forth---was mulling over what Launchpad had said to  
Darkwing earlier.

"Mister Launchpad is right, Mister Darkving," he told the purple-caped drake. "As far as I iss concerned, you are very MUCH a hero!  
After all, many of da great men in history vas laffed at, at first!"

Ludwig's voice broke Darkwing's flashback and he looked up at the Professor and responded in a very soft voice, "Thank you, Professor!  
I really appreciate the fact that you and Launchpad think I am a hero." Then a smile came back across his beak and he adjusted his fedora  
so he could look at the happy Professor, who remembered the days of his piloting airplanes during World War I.

"If what you and Launchpad are saying is true about Magica's evil powers, then we best get busy and find out all we can about Magica  
and her powers, so that we can devise a plan to stop her. Certainly Negaduck and she will no doubt team up so they can both get what  
they want. Magica will use the formula to obtain Scrooge McDuck's number one dime and Negaduck will definitely use that formula  
against the citizens of Saint Canard. Together, they will certainly try to take over the world. Let's go to the computer platform!"

Launchpad was occupied with getting Darkwing's pie and didn't see his face when Launchpad and Ludwig started talking about the photo,  
but he sensed that something had changed. He was very sensitive to the moods of others, especially the people he knew well, and Darkwing  
was getting depressed. DW never talked about his childhood and Launchpad could sense without being told that it was painful for him, so  
he never pried. Darkwing would tell him when and if he was ready.

But DW was smiling again, looking at the professor, when Launchpad handed him his pie. Launchpad's eyes went to another photograph  
hanging on the wall opposite the one with the photo of his family. It was a copy of one they had in their house. It was taken by one of  
Gosalyn's friends at the orphanage the day Drake had adopted her, just after the papers had been signed and they were about to leave.  
Drake and Gosalyn had their arms around each other and Launchpad stood behind them with one hand on Gosalyn's head and the other  
on Drake's shoulder. They were all beaming.

He looked from the photo into Darkwing's eyes and smiled, trying to tell him with his own eyes that he had a family now and that he wasn't  
alone anymore. He didn't want to say anything out loud in front of Ludwig. Launchpad and Gosalyn couldn't change whatever had happened  
to Drake/Darkwing in the past, but they could help change his future for the better.

As for the professor, he had listened intently, and with horror, as Launchpad described Magica's diabolical exploits in her quest for Scrooge's  
fortune.

"Dose stories about dat Miss Magica…not good!" he declared, shaking his head anxiously. " If she can cause so many troubles wit'---  
_whateffer _she's got, I hate to t'ink vat she could do vit mine _formula!" _He shuddered as he considered the possibilities. Despite what  
Darkwing had promised, Ludwig couldn't help but continue worrying as he considered all that Launchpad had said.

That his very formula might cause a crime wave to hit Saint Canard was surely awful enough. But now, because of LOVE-15, it was possible  
that Scrooge, his own brother-in-law, might lose his entire fortune and the city Ludwig had called home---even the world itself---might be  
turned completely upside down.

He set down what remained of his pie, his appetite suddenly gone, and his voice quavered a little as he continued:

"Mister Darkvings, an' Mister Launchpad? I made LOVE-15 only ta help people. But now, in da wrong hands, it can only HURT people!  
Ve got ta stop dis from happenin'! I am t'inking…if we get mine formula avay from dat bad Negaduck? I t'ink I shall _destroy _it.."

Launchpad felt a rush of sympathy when Ludwig said he thought he should destroy the formula and why. He patted the professor's  
back, being careful not to hurt him. Unlike Negaduck, Launchpad cared about Ludwig's old bones.

"Professor Von Drake," he said gently, "everything can be used for good or evil; it depends on who uses it. I mean, look at Mr. McD's  
lucky dime. Mr. McD's been able to do a lot of good with it, but Magica will use it for evil if she gets it. Your formula can help people,  
and when we get it back from Negaduck, SHUSH can keep it safe for yah. Right, DW?"

He turned to Darkwing and waited for his response. Darkwing nodded, but was too preoccupied with operating the computer to answer  
verbally.

Ludwig felt better after what Launchpad had said. He liked this kind pilot, who in some small way reminded the Professor of himself in  
his younger days.

As he watched Darkwing and Launchpad in front of the computer, for some moments he sat quietly---a thing unusual for him, since he  
was known for being a chatterbox. Yet while he had been observing the two friends and absorbing their conversation, his brain had  
been as busy as ever.

He hadn't seen the sad look on Darkwing's face earlier, but the Professor was not too occupied with his own troubles to sense an  
emotional tension in the air. That Darkwing had self-esteem issues (especially with Gizmoduck), was all too obvious, but years of  
psychological studies had taught Ludwig that such issues usually went deeper than mere envy or self-importance. Too often those  
problems stemmed from unhappy childhoods, broken relationships, failed careers---or abuse. He wondered now: could that mask  
on Darkwing's face be more than just a piece of cloth? Was it perhaps an _emotional _mask as well, hiding not just the eyes but the  
soul?

Meanwhile, back to the formula. Unfortunately, Von Drake was as absent-minded as he was intelligent. Now, recalling what Darkwing  
had said: "I just hope that the Professor has all of his notes and samples of that potion here with him, and not in the basement of his  
house", Ludwig gulped as he suddenly remembered something else.

Looking both anxious and embarrassed, he waddled over to Darkwing and Launchpad, his hat clenched tightly in his hands.

"Mister Darkvings...Launchpad? I hate ta be da bringer of bad news…but mine lab is in mine basements, ya see. So, I t'ink I had da  
formula written down on some of da papers in dere. An' maybe," he continued, clearing his throat and tugging at his collar, "a _few  
_teensy liddle samples…?"

Before Negaduck left Ludwig's basement through the window from which he came, he grabbed a box filled with notes and placed them  
behind the bush. Then he thought to himself that he just couldn't leave without leaving his mark. "Now," he thought happily, "it's time  
for some mindless destruction, so he whipped out the chainsaw and sawed the wooden cellar staircase in half. "When that dippy do-gooder  
rushes down these stairs," he thought, "that knob will surely break that fat oversized beak of his as he lands flat on his face on the hard  
concrete!"

After the dirty deed was done, he climbed out of the window, grabbed the box and headed for the Troublemaker.

Negaduck pressed the red button located on the frame of the bike, which opened the lid to the secret compartment that was located directly  
behind the menacing mallard's seat. He put that compartment there to fully conceal and store any weapons that he felt that he needed to  
commit his cold, calculating crimes against the innocent citizenry of Saint Canard. The compartment was large enough even to conceal his  
ferocious Rotweiler dogs that were used to destroy the teddy bears of The Calisota Teddy Bear Company a few years ago.

After the black masked mallard put the box in the compartment, he looked around at the peaceful neighborhood and thought to himself,  
"What deviltry can I get myself into. I just can't say 'Good Bye' without leaving a nice parting gift for my friends from Lord Negaduck!"

The duck first observed that the mail box on the corner of Mandarin Way and Pintail Drive was being quite active. Then it hit the intelligent  
mallard like a ton of Ludwig's hat boxes, "Ahhh, man this is perfect!" Negaduck maniacally smiled and rubbed his feathered palms together.  
"Today is April 14, and these knobs are probably mailing their precious tax returns to the corrupt State of Calisota and to the feds to get  
their refund that they think they are going to get. Well, not if Negaduck has anything to say about it! And, I do!!"

Negaduck reached for a bomb that he conveniently kept in the bike's compartment and bit the end of the fuse, and just waited for his  
opportunity. He leaned up against the powerful bike with his arm resting on the black leather seat. Negaduck took great pride in his  
customized Harley Davidson chopper motorcycle bike that he crafted by himself. The front of the bike was graced with a fiberglass  
covering that was painted purple and black and was shaped like an evil duck's face and bill that came complete with razor-sharp  
fangs for teeth. Behind the seat and compartment were the two vertical chrome bars that supported an actual duck's skull with two  
femur bones that formed an "X" behind the skull. When he saw the line had finally ended, he walked over to the mail box, lit the fuse  
and dropped the black bomb inside. He then ran back to the bike, started it up and quickly raced up the street and turned around.  
Negaduck evilly laughed as he heard the box explode into a million pieces. He saw that papers were now scattered on the once clean  
streets, and was thoroughly satisfied that many windows on the houses were shattered, as well as a few cars.

After the vandal admired his handiwork, he said, "Wow, Now That's Delivering For Me!"

The mallard quickly got the bike in gear and sped back to the main road towards the Audubon Bay Bridge to cross over into Duckburg.


	4. Chaos and Camouflage

**Love-15**  
A _Darkwing Duck_ Fanfic  
by LordNegaduck (et al)

_Author's Notes:_ This story is a Collaboration by LuvvyDuck, LordNegaduck, and  
Luckyduck29, who hope you are enjoying this Ludwig Von Drake and Darkwing Duck  
story as much as we enjoy writing it!!

As much as we would love to own our favorite feathered friends; Ludwig Von Drake,  
Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, and the other characters mentioned from the Darkwing Duck  
and Ducktales series are the sole property of Disney.

We would like to personally thank all those who left their complements and reviews!!  
We really appreciate them!! You are all so totally awesome! Mean it!!

* * *

**_Chapter 4: Chaos and Camouflage  
_**

Darkwing was starting to fume as the small personal computer that was located on a grey metal office desk would not  
log onto the internet.

"This LOUSY piece of junk!!! the hero exclaimed as he pounded his fists on the metal. "Where's Gosalyn's hockey  
stick? I could just SMASH this computer!! All I want to do is look up Magica De Spell on the internet and I can't  
get on! I keep getting this blasted error message!! Why do I pay for this lousy service if I can't access the internet  
when I need to."

Darkwing's breathing was heavy as it always was when the hero got very angry and frustrated with a piece of equipment.

"Launchpad, I am going up to the computer platform, to see if I can find out if SHUSH has gathered any information on Magica. If she is as dangerous as you and Ludwig say she is, then they should have a dossier the size of the Saint Canard Telephone Directory!"

When the hero calmed, he took his pie to the SHUSH computer station located on a platform accessed by a ladder. The small floor space was made of concrete and had a guardrail that completely surrounded the office space. Against the wall was a large white projection screen and directly under the screen was a large wooden desk containing Darkwing's main computer and monitor. Immediately to the left of the desk was a table, which held the control panel for the video screen. Darkwing used that video screen to contact SHUSH. If J. Gander Hooter needed to get in contact with the hero, he sent a Flashquack message. The Flashquack, a micro version of the Thunderquack, flew directly to the mighty masked mallard, no matter where he was located, as long as he stayed within Saint Canard. If J. Gander knew that Darkwing was in the hideout, he usually had a video conference using the screen above Darkwing's feathered head.

Launchpad watched calmly as Darkwing raged against the small computer. His and Ludwig's pep talk had brought Darkwing's confidence most of the way up after all that talk about Gizmoduck, but Launchpad knew that being able to find out more about Magica on his own by using his detective work would bring it back up to one hundred percent. He supposed DW was more likely to find Magica on the SHUSH computer than he was on the regular Internet, but didn't have to tell Darkwing that because his frustration with the smaller computer drove him to the big one anyway.

The curious mallard booted up the expensive computer that was generously provided by his part-time employer. He was authorized to look up any background information that SHUSH had in their data base. Once the log on name and password  
were typed in, Darkwing typed "Magica Da Spell", in the search field.

"No Matches Found," the computer reported.

Darkwing tried substituting an "e" in place of the "a" and pressed the "Enter" key.

The screen read, "One Match Found."

"Yes!" Darkwing said. "Alleluia!!"

When Darkwing opened the document, he read that Magica lived on the slopes of Vesuvius, near Naples, Italy. The sorceress was born in 1928, and her sole purpose in life was to relieve one Scrooge McDuck of his Number One Dime and melt it in the Vesuvius into a powerful magical amulet. She was considered to be very dangerous because of her magical powers and she was known to team up with a local gang of criminals known as The Beagle Boys to help steal the dime. To date, neither the Beagle Boys nor Magica had ever successfully gotten even close to the dime, which was protected by an alarm system and was under bullet-proof glass. The dime was also protected under the guard and watchful eye of Gizmoduck.

The hero got up from his swivel chair, crossed his arms and exclaimed, "AGAIN with the Gizmoduck!!! Well, no duh!! I ALREADY KNOW all this information!! That is EXACTLY what Ludwig and Launchpad had already told me!! Wait a  
minute. What's this?"

Then the crime fighter looked down and read something at the bottom of the screen that he hadn't seen before.

"To access more information about Magica De Spell or The Beagle Boys, contact the Duckburg Intelligence Agency."

"Wait a minute!! I have never heard of the Duckburg Intelligence Agency!!! Launchpad!!!!" Darkwing screamed. "Who the  
heck is the Duckburg Intelligence Agency and what do you know about these Beagle Boys!"

Launchpad smiled, thinking of his adventure as a DIA agent with Feathers Galore. This was one of the few times he was able to help DW by giving him information rather than flying him somewhere or helping him fight someone. He had told him about the Beagle Boys, but he knew that sometimes DW didn't always listen to his stories, but tuned them out or treated them as background noise.

He ran to the platform and sat beside Darkwing.

"I worked for the DIA once," he said. "I was delivering a box for Mr. McD, when these guys came up to me and said I needed to make a delivery for them to Geneva. I told them I had to go to Mr. McD first, and they called me 'Bruno' and told me to cut the jokes. Then another guy came up to me and said J Gander Hoover, that's with a V, wanted to see me. That guy brought me to the DIA Headquarters and more agents caught the real Bruno Von Beak on the subway. They came back and showed me and Hoover a picture. Except for the black hair, the guy was a dead ringer for me! Or was I a dead ringer for him? So they called me 'Double O Duck', and signed me up to pose as Bruno and stop Dr. No-good from destroying the world's money supply. I couldn't let Mr. McD lose his fortune; That would be almost as bad for him as losing one of the kids. I'd have done it for him, even if he hadn't ordered me to, because it meant so much to him. So I met up with Bruno's girlfriend, Feathers, and she found out I wasn't really him and tried to kill me. Then Dr. No-good captured me and tried to feed me to his pet lions. Feathers and I escaped and got the DIA to capture No-good. FOWL tried to kill Feathers."

He paused, remembering something he'd never thought of before.

"Weird; they called FOWL the Foreign Organization for World Larceny, not the Fiendish Organization. Anyway, FOWL tried to kill her because I managed to get away from her; that was why she was helping me. She knew the DIA would protect her. Once it was over, Hoover wanted to make me a full time Double O Duck, but I wasn't ready to leave Mr. McD then. I said working for him was safer and that was true, but I also had other things I wasn't ready to give up. I couldn't be a little league coach or Junior Woodchuck troop leader if I was on spy missions all the time. When Webby and the boys got older and Mr. McD lost his sense of adventure, that was when I decided I needed a change and then found the newspaper clippings about you."

He smiled again, looking into his boss's blue eyes.

"I knew if I could be your sidekick it would be just the change I needed. I could still help make a difference and get back the adventure I didn't have anymore with Mr. McD."

He paused, looking at the computer screen, thinking of the Beagle Boys.

"The Beagle Boys don't really care about the dime; they want all of Mr. McD's cash. The money bin is the one place they haven'tbeen able to get into, with or without Gizmoduck. The Beagles will team up with anyone who might be able to help  
them get Mr. McD's money; that's why they would help Magica get the dime. All she wants is that one little dime; the rest  
of the cash would be theirs. They're not very bright, but their mother is a terror and they usually follow her lead. Lucky for  
Mr. McD, they always mess up somehow, even with Ma Beagle leading the parade."

Launchpad drained the rest of his Coo-Coo cola, then went to the refrigerator for another one, giving Darkwing time to process everything he'd just told him.

All that time, Ludwig had been watching Darkwing at the computer, listening to his tirade. He shook his head with a stiff smile. _Dat poor guy_, he mused. _Such a temper he has!_

At the same time, the professor was a little worried that some of the hero's frustration might be on account of the little bombshell  
Von Drake had just dropped.

"So, it iss okay, yes?" he asked Launchpad, feeling it wise to talk to the calmer of the two. "After all, mine friends, Da Professor leafs LOTSA stuffs in his lab! If I'd known some bad guy like dat Negaduck persons voulda broke in an' stole mine stuff, I'd-a kept every liddle t'ing in a safes someveres! But---hoo-_wee!!!!!! _Mine place iss such a kooky mess. I needs ta get me a maids or somet'in', hah?"

On and on he rambled; it was partly his distress over his carelessness and the possible theft of his formula that had Von Drake  
so wired up---not to mention the sugar and caffeine he had just consumed. But as his relatives and friends in Duckburg could unhappily testify, once the professor was in the mood to talk about anything (and he rarely _wasn't_), he would chatter on and  
on like a hyperactive parrot. Ludwig was likely the one who gave cause for the saying: "He must have been vaccinated with  
a _phonograph _needle!"

"So, Mister Darkvings, you are not mad at Da Professor, right?" he continued anxiously. "Cause I hear ya screamin' at dat computer dere, an' you're already ticked off enough at da t'ing…when I told ya dat I left da formula papers an' some-a da samples in da basement vere dat kooky Negaduck vas messin' around, I-da t'ought you'd be going right t'rough da ceilin'!  
Ain't dat right, Launchpad?"

Launchpad opened his mouth to answer, but Ludwig continued.

"So do you guys vant me ta come wit' you ven you go after dose bad guys, or do ya t'ink I should be stayin' here? Cause I  
ain't afraid ta come wit' ya if ya want me to…"

"Poor guy," Launchpad thought affectionately as he listened to Ludwig's babbling. "He's nervous enough as it is. I should  
have offered him a glass of milk or something instead of all that sugar."

He smiled at Ludwig and put the hand not holding his second Coo-Coo Cola on the Professor's shoulder. He spoke softly,  
partly to calm the professor and partly to keep from disturbing Darkwing's concentration.

"Relax, professor. DW's just pretending to be more mad at the computer than he really is to cover up his worry over Negaduck  
and Magica's next move. As for the notes and your formula, you should be able to keep things like that around your house,  
especially if that's where you work, without people stealing them. How were you supposed to know someone like Negaduck was gonna come along and break into your house?"

Then he had another thought.

"Negaduck took one of the boxes, but maybe it's not the box with the notes on Love-15. I mean, yah had so many boxes there.  
What are the odds that the first box Negaduck would grab would be the one he wants?"

Before he could address the issue of whether or not Ludwig would go with them and tell him that would be up to DW, Darkwing  
called for him. He released the professor's shoulder, giving him a wink before running to the computer platform.

As Launchpad reached the top of the ladder, Darkwing looked at him with the mixed emotions of worry and anger.

"While you were talking to The Professor, I received a Flash Quack communiqué from Director Hooter. He said to report to his  
office immediately with Professor Ludwig."

Launchpad began to feel very anxious when he saw Darkwing's face. He thought part of it might have been because of what  
Ludwig had said before, but that couldn't be all judging by the look in Darkwing's eyes, and the tight fists. He listened with his  
head cocked to the right, watching Darkwing intently, as DW explained in detail the SHUSH Director's Flash Quack message.

"DW must have found out something he doesn't like," he thought.

At first he thought it had to do with the Beagle Boys or Magica, but he felt a shock as Darkwing explained.

"His message was very sketchy, but…"

The hero looked down at the floor, then directly into his sidekick's eyes and continued.

"Well, let's just say we no longer have to guess if the box Negaduck took actually contained the samples of the formula. The  
Saint Canard Police went down into that basement and confiscated every last hat box that was lying around."

Darkwing looked at Launchpad to see his facial reactions.

For a fraction of a second, Launchpad thought it might be good that the cops went to Ludwig's house. Negaduck had to  
have left some evidence of his presence there. Then his knowledge of the corruption in Saint Canard reasserted itself. The  
cops worked for the Mayor and the Mayor was in league with Negaduck. There was no way the cops would have had  
any benevolent intentions at the professor's house.

"Hooter said that the entire house was ransacked," Darkwing continued, "and that the basement stairs were completely  
destroyed, obviously the work of my nemesis double. That poor, old man."

The hero shook his head with empathy for his new friend.

"All he wanted to do is invent a formula to make sure the police and crime fighters such as _moi _don't get injured while  
making arrests, and now he is stuck with all this heartache and grief."

Launchpad wasn't sure which feeling was stronger; his anger at the police or his sadness for the professor. How were  
they going to tell him? Not only had his formula fallen into the wrong hands, even if they weren't Negaduck's hands  
directly, but his house had been invaded, his privacy violated and his safety compromised. How could anyone feel  
secure after such a horrible intrusion?

"Launchpad, that's not all!"

"That's not all?" Launchpad thought anxiously. "What else could go wrong for this poor old guy?"

The mallard then looked up at the ceiling, stepped towards the ace pilot and whispered, "J. Gander also happened  
to mention that the Saint Canard Police have a warrant out for Ludwig's arrest. No doubt the Mayor is behind this  
one. He probably wants to break him into spilling the beans about his formula."

Meanwhile, Ludwig had finally finished off his piece of pie and was strolling around the room of the Tower. He wished  
that Darkwing would let him tinker around with at least _one_ of the gadgets---ever the inventor, Von Drake couldn't stand  
it if he couldn't have something to do with himself.

Except when Darkwing had been having another 'temper tizzy', Ludwig could not hear him or Launchpad up on the  
computer platform. It was well for him that he didn't. He had finally started to calm down, and was blissfully unaware  
of the Mayor's dastardly plan to arrest him---not to mention the cruel destruction of his own home, and God knew  
what else.

Getting restless and curious at the same time, the professor waddled over to the computer platform.

As Launchpad digested the information, Darkwing leaned over the guardrail and saw Ludwig wandering around the floor  
of the tower admiring his crime fighting equipment. Then he suddenly heard his voice.

"Ey!!! Is everyt'ing okay, ya guys?"

Darkwing sighed loudly.

"it's times like these that make being a crime fighter a most difficult job."

The hero had a most difficult task of informing the elderly gentleman of some very devastating news, and he was not sure how to approach the matter, or even how he would react to it. But the task had to be done. Ludwig needed to know the whole truth  
before he saw Director Hooter.

The mallard looked down at Ludwig and said, "Launchpad and I will be down in a minute."

Launchpad had to fight to keep his volume low as he cried, "What? Arrested? They've already stolen his life work and destroyed  
his house; on top of that, Negaduck destroyed his stairs so he'd fall and break his neck and now the creeps wanna arrest him?  
What could they possibly arrest him for? I mean, it's obviously a fake charge, knowing these guys, but what is it? What are they  
trying to say he did that would make it OK for them to trash his house and then hunt him down and lock him up?"

He fought hard to get his anger under control and to make his knitted eyebrows go back to normal. He smiled slightly, thinking that as sketchy as Darkwing said J. Gander's message was, he'd gotten quite a bit of information out of it. But then his worry took over.

"Aw, DW," he asked softly, "how are we gonna tell the poor guy? We can't tell him we're taking him to SHUSH just to update J. Gander; someone might let it slip. But he's so upset already about the formula! How do we give him even more bad news?"

Darkwing then walked back over to Launchpad and said, "I guess we will both have to tell him about his house and potential arrest."

Darkwing suddenly puffed out his feathery chest with pride and pointed his finger in the air.

"Well, Launchpad, it does sound like a very dark and stormy cloud of conspiracy has overshadowed our dear Professor, but  
Thank God he has a couple of heroes like us working on his side to protect him and put all of his fears aside!!!! Launchpad,  
_let's get dangerous!" _

Launchpad felt a huge grin spread across his face when Darkwing included him as a hero. It made him feel a little more confident,  
a bit better about the professor's situation. He and DW would help Ludwig deal with it, both physically and emotionally. Darkwing's confidence and pride were contagious. Ludwig would be OK. Launchpad and Darkwing would make sure of it.

The fight had returned to the hero's eyes.

"Well, maybe we can't do anything about the house, but we can certainly keep him from getting within the clutches of that sinister  
civil servant!! He will NEVER be arrested for as long as Darkwing Duck is on the job!!" he said while pounding his chest, like Tarzan.

The mallard then paced the floor with his hands behind his back.

"We have to formulate a plan. Ludwig has to be with us 24/7 and in disguise when he is out; that's for sure. Hey, Launchpad!"

The hero stopped his pacing and grabbed Launchpad's brown jacket with excitement.

"Do you still have your Darkwing Duck costume? He could wear that on the outside and no one would be able to recognize him. Whaddya think about that, Launchpad?"

"Yeah, Launchpad told Darkwing, "I still have my DW decoy costume. I'll get it before we go to SHUSH, but first we should  
tell the professor what we gotta tell him and give him time to deal with it."

He started down the ladder and towards Professor Von Drake. Normally he would have followed Darkwing, but his anxiety  
over the poor professor and his eagerness to get this part over made him act impulsively.

The hero followed Launchpad down the ladder and stood next to him while he thoroughly described the events that took place  
against his property. Darkwing watched Ludwig as Launchpad delivered the bad news to him.

Launchpad took a deep breath and looked directly into Ludwig's eyes. He didn't want to see the look in the professor's eyes  
when he was told about his house, but it felt wrong not to.

"Uh, Professor," he began, "while we were talking before, DW got a message from SHUSH. I'm afraid we got some bad news for yah. Yah know how the mayor's working with Negaduck? Well, the cops work for the mayor and---"

He trailed off, not sure how to finish. He glanced at Darkwing briefly, then forced himself to look back at Ludwig and continue.

"The cops went to your house after Negaduck left," he said gently. "They, uh, they took all your notes and ransacked your house."

He put his arm around Ludwig's shoulders.

"The staircase to your cellar was destroyed, but we're pretty sure that was Negaduck; it's just something he would love to do.  
He probably thought DW would go down there first and hurt himself. Negaduck is still bugged, so we can look at the tapes and  
find out if he really---" He stopped, realizing he was rambling. "Uh, anyway, I'm afraid that's not all. The cops---"

He broke off, looked away, then back. He took another deep breath and tightened his arm protectively around Ludwig.

"The cops have a warrant out for your arrest. The Mayor's behind it, of course; I mean, they'll fake a charge if they can get to yah."

Launchpad glanced at Darkwing again, then back at Ludwig.

"But they won't," he promised passionately. "DW and I are gonna make sure you're protected, and so will SHUSH!"

Launchpad looked away again, giving Ludwig time to absorb what he'd just told him. He looked to Darkwing to see if his  
boss had anything to add that would comfort the professor. Launchpad didn't tell Ludwig they had to take him to SHUSH  
because he wanted to give him time to react to the news of the city's total violation of his right to privacy.

"Between my dastardly, demented double and that slimy, sleazy, self-serving politician, your basement has been entirely  
cleaned out." Darkwing sighed and continued. "Other than the staircase and the ransacking, we don't know what other  
damage may have been done to your house."

Even for someone with a doctorate in psychology, _denial _is one of the first reactions to any devastating event. As the professor  
listened to the sad news about his house and threatened arrest, his eccentric but still brilliant mind was rejecting what his ears  
could not. He blinked and shook his head, hoping that what he'd heard was only a bad dream. It had to be…_didn't _it?

Yes, that was it: he had fallen asleep at his desk, as he sometimes did, and everything that had taken place---meeting the vicious Negaduck, that icy plunge into Audubon Bay, being in this strange place---and now, hearing that his lab and his very home had been violated and trashed, and the Mayor was even planning to arrest him! (And for _what?_) Surely this was all some dreadful nightmare? Any second Ludwig would wake up and find everything the way it ought to be…

He was doing his best to stay calm and not get too emotional; but it was with a pale face and a sickly attempt at a smile that he  
looked up at Launchpad.

"Vat iss dis you are tellin' me, Launchpad? I vant ta go home _now_…you are sayin' dat I cannot do dat? But---dot iss mine _house_, Launchpad!"

Launchpad wanted to cry for the poor professor. He could see the denial in Ludwig's eyes; the blink, the shake of the head. Launchpad thought, when Ludwig looked up at him, that the professor thought they were playing a cruel joke on him. He was  
trying to smile, but he couldn't and his face was very pale.

Darkwing took off his fedora and put it over his chest and said, "We can not compromise your safety, Professor, by taking  
you home; it's much too dangerous!" He then replaced his fedora back on his feathery head as he listened to Launchpad  
break the news to the heartbroken professor.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Launchpad said gently. "It's just not safe, and your house is gonna need at least some repair before yah go back there. Yah can't risk going down those basement stairs. I'm pretty good with my hands; I can help yah with some of that when this is all over, but for now your safety is more important than anything. We can replace your house, but we can't replace you."

Launchpad knew that Negaduck wouldn't hesitate to kill the professor if Ludwig didn't give him what he wanted. The Mayor wouldn't kill him, but he would have someone else do it. Launchpad tried not to show his horror at the mental image of the cops trying to arrest Ludwig, then shooting him and telling people it was because he tried to escape.

He suddenly wondered if anything he and Darkwing did for the city really made a difference. If the city's supposed protectors could be this uncaring to the rest of the population, what could only two people do? It was true that Darkwing was more competent than most of the cops in Saint Canard, if not all, and Launchpad was learning from DW, but they were still only two in a city of, he didn't know how many.

He scratched his head, pushing the doubts away. He and DW had beaten countless bad guys before. They did what they could and were always successful, and it wasn't always luck, contrary to what some people believed. He gave a mental glare to Grizzlikof, SHUSH's Chief agent, who would never give DW a compliment even if Darkwing saved the entire universe from destruction, unless DW used that blasted regulations manual Grizz loved so much, and most likely not even then.

Launchpad scratched his head again, then put his chin in his hand, confused. Where were all these negative thoughts coming from? This wasn't like him. Maybe it was the professor's situation that was having this affect on him. That had to be it;  
self-doubt and displaced anger, or anger in general for that matter, were emotions Launchpad rarely allowed himself to  
indulge in.

As Ludwig pondered on his own situation, the cruel reality of it now began to set in.

"Everyt'ing I got in dere…mine grand piano, mine opera records…Mama's heirloom china? Mine _lab?? _Dose guys didn't hurt everyt'ing dat bad, did dey?" he pleaded. Many of his most priceless items and family heirlooms were being stored by Scrooge in his mansion back in Duckburg, but Ludwig had brought a few of his treasures to Saint Canard with him.

"I even had a old phota-graph of mine weddin', years ago," he continued. "If dey did anyt'ing to it…" He clenched his fists and  
shook his head angrily.

Launchpad forced his thoughts of Negaduck and Grizzlikoff away.

"We just don't know how badly the house was---" Launchpad began, then stopped, trying to think of a better word for "trashed." He couldn't, so he didn't finish that sentence. "I'm sure Director Hooter will have more information for yah  
when we get to SHUSH."

"But vhy does dat Mayor vanna arrest _me??_" the professor asked Darkwing. "I haf done _not'ing_ wrong! Vhy are dey  
doin' all dese awful t'ings ta Professor Von Drake? _Vhy, _Mister Darkving?"

Launchpad had to look away from Ludwig when he asked Darkwing why all this was being done to him. He just couldn't  
look into those dark, expressive eyes when they were so filled with sadness, anger and confusion.

After Launchpad had finished briefing Ludwig, the purple-caped mallard then continued on.

"The SHUSH note did not specify any charges that the Saint Canard Police had on you, but J. Gander will give more  
details when we get to his office. Maybe the mayor and his cohorts did not find either the formula or the notes to  
Love-15 in any of those hat boxes, so now they must find you to translate and reveal how to produce the formula.  
After all, Negaduck did say that they were written in German. For all they know, they could be looking at one of  
your cooking recipes on baking a chocolate cake!"

Darkwing's eyes lit up and he inquired, "Professor, what is in your bag that you took with you from your university office?  
My superior intellect tells me that they figured the notes and samples are with you, and THAT'S the reason why it is so  
important to locate you!"

The hero had a look of anger on his feathered face as he spoke.

"You're being hunted like a common criminal just because of your invention and your genius mind. Well, if you don't mind, Professor…" Darkwing's mood lightened and he chuckled as he spoke. "…I was thinking that you need a disguise. You will  
be with Launchpad and me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, so unfortunately you won't be going home tonight to enjoy listening to your music. From now on, when you are outside, you will be dressed like _me_, Darkwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Duck,  
THE TERROR THAT FLAPS!!" The hero exclaimed as he grabbed the ends of the cape and hid his face so that only his ice blue eyes were revealed.

Launchpad listened quietly as Darkwing spoke to Ludwig, feeling a mixture of intense ffection and mild exasperation as  
Darkwing spoke. DW was boosting his own ego again, and the professor had barely had time to absorb the shock of  
what had just happened. But Launchpad knew Darkwing was trying in his own way to comfort the professor, as well  
as give himself the confidence he needed to know they could do what needed to be done and that they would succeed. Launchpad smiled. Again, he was caught up in DW's enthusiasm.

The hero turned to Launchpad and said, "LP, why don't you go and get my spare costume and your Darkwing Decoy  
costume and we will see which one fits him best?"

"No problemo, DW," Launchpad said cheerfully.

He took his arm from Ludwig's shoulders, gave the professor's left shoulder a reassuring pat and headed for the  
storage compartment in the Thunderquack where he kept a spare costume, both for Darkwing and for him as  
Darkwing Decoy, in case they ever needed them and didn't have time to go back to the tower, or something  
happened to one of the ones they were wearing. Launchpad smiled again, thinking that he had lost count of how  
many capes Darkwing had lost or ruined fighting the bad guys.

Darkwing then said to the nervous Professor, "You will like Director Hooter and Dr. Bellum. She is the scientist at  
SHUSH who will ask you many questions about your formula so she can produce it for SHUSH and produce an  
antidote as well. We're going to need an awful lot of antidote if either Magica and Negaduck or the Mayor ever  
get to produce the formula. Well, no formula is going to get the best of Darkwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Duck!!" The mallard  
said while striking a dramatic pose with the purple and hot pink cape.

Ludwig frowned; too much was happening in one night, and all of it more surreal than any opera he'd ever heard.  
He was still quite bewildered over the news he had just heard, and now he had to go to some other place he'd  
never heard of---and wear a strange disguise yet???

But he knew that these two men were trying to help him, and cared for his safety. No matter what "kooky" thing  
they asked of him, he had to trust them. He gave a weary sigh and raised a martyred glance to the ceiling; there  
was no sense in fighting this.

As for his house, maybe it wasn't quite so bad as it sounded. Houses could be replaced, after all. There was one  
thing for certain: when the whole crazy mess was finally over, the Mayor and everyone else involved in that dastardly  
affair was going to pay…in _spades_.

In the meantime, there was still the matter of the formula, and the professor brightened a little as he thought back on  
Darkwing's earlier question.

"Dat's right, Mister Darkving---I _did _put some-a da formula an' stuff in mine briefcase, yes?" he declared. He quickly  
set the case on Darkwing's desk and opened it. Despite the plunge in the bay, the vials of Love-15, the software, and  
even the professor's writings were still intact.

"If dose baddies didn't find none of dis in mine house," he said triumphantly, "den ve haf da upper hands on dem---an'  
dey went ta all dat trouble for _not'ing!_"

When the hero heard that Ludwig actually had the vials and notes to the formula on his person, he jumped for joy;  
and said "YES!" Unfortunately, upon his landing, his cape got tangled up around his webbed feet, causing him to  
fall onto the Professor and the very desk that contained the clear glass cylinders of the precious formula.

From the floor, Ludwig could only watch in horror as two vials of the reddish-brown liquid rolled off the desk and  
shattered on the concrete floor below. The clumsy hero did manage to save the eight remaining vials after helping  
the Professor up.

_**Himmel! **How does dis guy survive on da streets? _thought Ludwig, staring in dazed dismay as part of his precious  
formula went all over the floor. And his colleagues had called _him _"an accident looking for a place to happen"!

"Whoops! Sorry, Professor!" Darkwing said sheepishly as he put his index finger to his beak while beads of sweat were  
running down his bill.

"Dot's okay, Mister Darkving," Ludwig replied, trying not to show too much concern over the two lost vials.

Darkwing then breathed in deeply and with a sparkle in his eyes, he exclaimed, "Oh, yes, I AM a genius! It was I who  
told ya to clean out your office because I just knew that Negaduck and his cohorts will be after the formula. I just LOVE  
being one step ahead of my dirty-deed doppelganger, for he knows that he CANNOT MESS WITH THE MIGHTY  
MASKED MALLARD!!! He knows he can't beat me in a fair fight!!"

Darkwing turned to Ludwig and said, "Now, since we can't be sure of who saw you come out of the University with  
that briefcase, we are going to have to put the vials and notes in another container to take to SHUSH." The hero cupped  
his lower beak and then said "Hey, I got it!! You can hide the vials in the cape! The cape is lined with pockets for hiding  
my gas gun, cartridges, and my other Darkwing crime-fighting thing-a-ma-bobs!"

Seeing that the eight vials had survived the accident, the hero continued.

"Are all these vials the same? Because if they are, we should only take six to SHUSH and keep two here, locked away  
in the vault."

Ludwig was beginning to wonder if trusting this "walking accident" might be a good idea after all, but Darkwing _had _seem  
pretty embarrassed when he apologized and picked the professor up, after salvaging what was left of the materials. And  
after all, Darkwing and Launchpad were putting their very lives on the line to protect him and the formula. He would simply  
have to trust them with his safety. He certainly couldn't trust anyone else.

Also, the purple-caped drake made a good point about hiding the vials. Any suspicious person having seen Von Drake  
leave with the briefcase would definitely be watching for any signs of it.

"_Ja, _all da vials are da same. But if you are hidin' dem in dat cape, vould ya PLEASE be careful wit' dem, Mister Darkvings?" Ludwig requested anxiously, wiping his brow with his handkerchief.

As the pilot returned with the costumes, Darkwing could see the stress in Ludwig's blue eyes and said, "Not to worry, Professor! You've got the best crime fighting team right here working on your side!" The hero looked to Launchpad, winked and said, "Right, LP?"

"No sweat, Professor," Launchpad said. "Negaduck has never beaten us before."

Darkwing then continued.

"We WILL overcome this adversity, and we will be ready for any trick those slimy serpents may have in store for us!"

The confident crime fighter then gave Ludwig a light friendly punch on the arm.

"Not to worry about your house either, Professor!! Do you realize that he who stands before you is not only the most  
competent crime fighter that Saint Canard has ever seen? I'm also known as the original 'Mister Fix It' where no job is  
too big or too small!"

The mallard looked at Launchpad as he was arranging the two costumes and said, "LP, didn't I do a great job on that  
sprinkler system I installed in the front yard? Professor, you can count on me to put your broken house back together  
for you!"

Launchpad nodded, smiling.

"Yah didn't do too bad a job with the bird bath either," he said, winking at Darkwing.

The bird bath had actually been the Liquidator covered in cement.The liquefied dog had been attacking Gosalyn, so  
DW had poured a bag of cement over him and froze him into a statue. Launchpad still wasn't sure how Licky had  
managed to unfvreeze.

"DW's really good with cement and Pickney Flanges," he told the professor.

The professor felt somewhat embarrassed for being so upset earlier. Having been quite set in his ways over the years and  
fond of his creature comforts, the news about his house _had _been pretty hard to take. Harder still had been the report of  
the Mayor's arrest attempt; but Ludwig was a tough old bird and had lived through worse.

But heartache quickly segued to anger and righteous indignation---those same feelings he'd had toward Negaduck for  
trying to con him into marketing those diamond-filled chocolates, the professor now had toward the corrupt Mayor who  
had betrayed his trust.

All right, so they busted up his silly old house and tried to steal his formula. And they wanted to arrest him, did they,  
perhaps to torture the formula out of him? They'd have to kill him first, and he wouldn't be the _first _martyr to Science.  
It still wouldn't get them that formula; in fact, it would be their own undoing. He, Ludwig von Drake, had invented Love-15  
for _just _such as those hoodlums! Even Science itself taught that actions had consequences---and somehow or other, that  
crooked politician and his henchmen would pay.

But until that happened, the professor was grateful that Darkwing and Launchpad were protecting and helping him. At least  
he wasn't alone in facing all these crazy incidents…

…including this "kooky" disguise they now expected him to put on.

"OK, Professor," Launchpad asked as he held out the two purple outfits. "Which one of these do you think will fit yah better?"

Ludwig had worn some pretty outlandish attire in his time (especially during his travels), including that clown costume when he sang _Pagliacci_ at the Duckburg Opera Hall one time. But now, as he gaped at the purple and pink outfits LP held out, the professor couldn't help being just a _little _dubious.

"I t'ink I can try dis one here," he declared, picking out Launchpad's own disguise.

LP looked at the mess on the floor. "DW must have gotten his cape caught again," he thought, smiling and retrieving the mop.  
By the time Ludwig had Launchpad's costume on, the pilot had cleaned up the spilled formula and put the mop and bucket  
back.

But Launchpad was considerably taller and more muscular, and when Ludwig put the costume on the results were both comical and pathetic. The fedora half-covered his eyes, the sweater and jacket hung on him, and the cape nearly tripped him when he tried to walk.

"_Ach, Himmel! _I vould get _lost _in dis t'ing!" he exclaimed. "I t'ink I bedder put on da udder one…"

Darkwing really laughed when he saw the Professor standing there and trying to walk in Launchpad's Darkwing Decoy costume. Ludwig reminded him of a small duckling trying on his father's clothes as the sleeves went way past his arms, and the purple double-breasted coat and green turtle necked shirt went down to his knees.

"I don't know who your tailor is there, Professor, but I sure would fire him if I were you!" the hero said trying to lighten everyone's mood.

Launchpad laughed along with Darkwing even as he stood ready to catch the professor if he fell in the cape. He was amused at the way the professor looked in his costume, but he was also a little embarrassed that he hadn't taken into account the difference between their sizes. If he had, he would have realized Ludwig was more fit for DW's costume and could have saved the professor this embarrassment.

But when he looked at him, he was glad to see the professor's amusement. He smiled at Ludwig, thinking that they had a lot in common. Even in the face of all that was happening to the professor, he could still find amusement in a situation, even at his own expense.

The "udder" costume fit him much better, and Ludwig went over to Darkwing's mirror to have a look. He stared up and  
down at his reflection, blinked a few times, then finally grinned.

"Han'some!" he exclaimed, tipping the fedora at a jaunty angle. "Von Drake, _purple _iss your colors!"

His head high and a new determination in his eyes, Ludwig turned to Darkwing and Launchpad.

"As you alvays say, Mister Darkving: _'Let's be gettin' dang'rous!' _"

Darkwing admired how well the his spare costume fit on the Professor. It looked as if it was made for him.

"Stunning! Now, Professor, you look like a real crime fighter, ready to take on some evil doers!"

Launchpad grinned back at the professor when he told himself purple was his color; it was, and he really did look handsome,  
and somehow distinguished.

The hero attached the purple and hot pink cape to the snaps that were located under the collar of the purple double-breasted jacket and showed Ludwig were all the secret pockets were located. "I agree, Professor; purple is definitely your color!"

Darkwing stepped back and looked at the Professor as he was admiring himself in the mirror. He then cupped his white  
feathered hand into a fist and placed it under his bill, thinking to himself, there is something askew. Then it came to him,  
Ludwig's glasses.

"Ah, Professor? Do you really need those glasses, for they can be a dead give away!"

Ludwig laughed uneasily. "I hadn't t'ought of dat. But Da Professor _does _need da glasses, I'm afraid to tell ya. Zee, I  
haf been nearsighted ever since I vas a young man…an' dat vas a LONG time ago!"

He explained to both Darkwing and Launchpad about his sudden ---_and _desperate---need for spectacles after a disastrous  
flight maneuver back in the First World War.

"Mine eyes veren't so good as I t'ought, vhen I vas out flyin' wit' mine buddies," he told them sheepishly. "Ven I started firin'  
da machine guns, I _t'ought _it looked like da wrong planes vas goin' down! I didn't kill nobody, t'ank goodness… but dey vouldn't let me fly no more till I got dem glasses!"

After that, though, his fellow pilots had christened him Ludwig von Richtoffen (after the infamous Red Baron), joking that the  
enemy must have sent Von Drake to kill them off.

"I didn't t'ink dat vas funny," was the professor's annoyed comment. "But da point iss, I haf needed da glasses since den. An'  
da older I gets, da stronger dey gets…" He took off his spectacles, and his new friends could see him blinking and squinting. "Now, I am almost _blind _wit'out dem. So dat iss _quite _a conundrum we got 'ere, Mister Darkving!"

Launchpad looked sympathetically at the professor when he took off his glasses and could obviously not see without them.  
That comment about the Red Baron was cruel, and he didn't think Ludwig's friends would say that if they'd really been his friends. Launchpad had never thought of it before, but what would he do if he couldn't fly anymore? Ludwig had other interests, science included. But flying was Launchpad's life, and the only thing he knew; it was the only area where he had complete and total self-confidence.

He scratched his head again to clear it of these disturbing thoughts. They had enough to worry about now. Launchpad didn't  
need to make himself anymore anxious worrying about what may or may not happen to his career in the future. There was  
nothing he could do about that until and unless it happened. For now, they needed to get to SHUSH and protect the professor and his formula from Negaduck, Magica and that heartless monster who called himself Mayor of Saint Canard.

Darkwing put his hand to his beak and chuckled to himself as the Professor admitted that he shot down planes that were on  
his side.

"I guess that was one big 'Whoops' there, Professor." The hero then cleared his throat and continued, "Well, at least nobody was hurt, or worse, killed."

The crime fighter looked to the ceiling and silently admitted to himself that if he received a dollar for every blunder and  
"Whoops" he ever cared to admit to, his bank account would surely surpass Scrooge's by far. The Professor's mistake  
was caused by lack of eye sight and was easily corrected by eye glasses. Darkwing's problem went much deeper. He always found himself rushing into dangerous situations without properly thinking things through enough and consequently putting those around him in harm's way. For the hero knew that his pride and ego always took precedence over clear and coherent planning. Only when Darkwing was finally able to put all distractions aside and was able to focus and concentrate on the task at hand,  
then he was a very competent crime fighter.

Darkwing looked over to Launchpad and then looked at Ludwig and sighed.

"Professor, don't feel too bad about the airplane incident, it wasn't really your fault."

The mallard then looked over to his sidekick and recalled the time when he was temporarily blinded by Megavolt and met the villainous light bulb lifting rodent at the Saint Canard Museum of Art and Science. Everything was going well until the suit Honker ordered for  
him malfunctioned, which caused Darkwing to fall backwards onto a lit kerosene lamp that was hanging on the wall. When  
the lamp shattered on the carpeted floor and set the museum ablaze, it was Launchpad's heroic efforts that not only saved Darkwing's life, but the lives of Honker and Gosalyn as well. After the heavy wooden joist collapsed on the hero, he was knocked unconscious and the next he knew, he was lying outside, soaking wet, in an upside down prop plane. The mallard  
knew that if it hadn't been for him, his friend's and daughter's lives would not have been in jeopardy.

He shook his head to clear it of the painful flashback and said, "It's important that we properly plan for what's to come and  
that everyone is on the same page. The mayor and his buddies are very serious about their demented demands, and will do anything to get their grimy paws on this formula, no matter what the cost."

Darkwing then stared directly into the Professor's eyes and said, "Professor, I know you need these glasses to see distance,  
but since you won't be flying the Thunderquack, you really don't need them. I am trying to create a diversion, and hopefully  
this will throw them off guard enough to get you into SHUSH safely. You will walk next to Launchpad, as…" the hero then  
made his dramatic pose with his cape by grabbing the top edge of the satin material and proceeded to cover his face and  
beak with it, so only his eyes were showing. _"…Darkwing Duck!" _The mallard then dropped the cape and continued on  
with confidence, "Launchpad knows the way to J. Gander's office, so just stay close to him and act very natural. After you  
two are within the building, I will soon follow."

The hero then put his hand on his hip and asked, "Are there any questions about my flawless plan?"

Maybe it was nerves at this unusual risk Ludwig would take, or maybe it was old age having its way with him---or, maybe it  
was just the Coo-Coo Cola he'd been drinking...

"Just one teensy question, Mister Darkving: v_here iss da liddle boys' room?_"

"Oh, my goodness!" Darkwing said, blushing.

Launchpad grinned, thinking of the Coo-Coo cola. _He_ would have to make the same trip before they left.

"Well," Darkwing continued, "when nature calls, you have to be there to answer it!! It's right over there, Professor, through  
that door, just past the kitchen area immediately to your right." After Ludwig was walking, Darkwing suddenly yelled "And  
watch the cape!"

Ludwig sprinted to the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind him. While the Professor was otherwise occupied,  
Launchpad voiced a few concerns to Darkwing.

"What about his accent, DW? What if he has to talk to someone? The accent will be a dead giveaway. And what if the  
three of us have to be together? It'll definitely look suspicious if there are _two _Darkwing Ducks."

Launchpad was sure DW had logical answers; he wasn't worried, but he wanted to know in case a situation came up later.  
He didn't want them to have to improvise and possibly put Professor Von Drake in danger because they hadn't thought _this  
_part of it through. Like Darkwing, he also was aware of DW's impulsiveness; in fact, sometimes Launchpad exhibited the same quality. But his impulsiveness was caused by an over eagerness to please, not by pride and ego.

Launchpad raised some valid concerns about the plan, which did indeed have to be addressed. Darkwing adjusted his fedora  
and said, "LP, my only concern right now is to get the Professor safely into the SHUSH building, and that's it. Once you two  
are inside, then I will soon follow. Just go to J. Gander's office and act naturally. The Professor does not have to speak to  
anyone until we all get inside and speak to Director Hooter and Dr. Sara Bellum."

The confident crime fighter went over to the desk where the spillage had occurred a moment before and opened the bottom  
drawer, then retrieved a wrinkled 4-pound brown paper bag and handed it to Launchpad.

"Now, these are cough drops, and if you feel uncomfortable, give the Professor some to put into his mouth, and just say  
something like 'Our fearless, dashing, and daring do-gooder can not talk today, for he's got a bad cold.' I'm quite sure you  
can come up with something." Darkwing then patted Launchpad on the back and continued, "Besides, we have to get these  
vials over to SHUSH ASAP, because Director Hooter and Dr. Bellum want to meet with Ludwig Von Drake. Dr. Bellum  
no doubt wants to test its true abilities and see if an antidote can be manufactured, in case any of us should come under its effects."

Darkwing put his hands on his hips and said, "Besides, LP, if you should have any bright ideas, I am waiting to here them.  
Otherwise, let's get going!!!!"

When the Professor returned, Darkwing asked, "Feel better? Ok, we are going to take the Thunderquack over to SHUSH headquarters. To make this look good, I want you to sit up front next to Launchpad, just in case somebody is watching when  
we land."

_**End Chapter 4**_


End file.
